Marat Safin has shared a clear and direct message for Andrey Rublev as they begin their new coaching partnership. Safin, a two-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1, emphasized that while he can offer guidance, it is ultimately up to Rublev to put in the necessary work and trust the process.
The news of Safin joining as Rublev’s coach broke a few days ago, courtesy of Russian tennis blogger Sofya Tartakova, and has now been confirmed. The pair are set to work together until at least the end of the clay season.
Reflecting on his extensive career, Safin, who boasts two Grand Slam titles, acknowledged that he knows what it takes to succeed on tennis’ biggest stages. He believes that while he can guide Rublev, it is Rublev’s responsibility to make it happen.
“Well, it depends on him. I can show him the road, but he needs to walk it. It’s not going to happen magically; he needs to work his way. I think it’s up to him. Let’s see how it goes for the next couple of weeks, but I think he’s willing to do it,” Safin stated in an interview with Tennis Channel.
Despite being one of the Tour’s most talented players, with 17 ATP titles and a career-high No. 5 ranking, Rublev has struggled to break through on the biggest stages. He has an unfortunate 0-9 record in Grand Slam quarterfinals.
“I think he can help me, but I cannot be specific yet because we only started working together three days ago. We’ll see how things go in the next couple of months,” Rublev said about his new coach.
The 27-year-old has faced a year of inconsistency so far. After an early loss in the Australian Open, he bounced back with a win in Doha in February. However, he has lost his last three matches since capturing the Doha title.
