**Tennis News: Andrey Rublev’s Disappointing Streak and Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Concerns About Rafael Nadal**
Andrey Rublev continues to struggle with a frustrating record, while Stefanos Tsitsipas expresses his apprehension about facing Rafael Nadal.
Andrey Rublev is a perplexing player. He has the potential for greatness and can strike the ball as powerfully as anyone, whether with his forehand or backhand. He’s also capable of placing shots accurately. However, what sets the elite players apart from someone like Rublev is their ability to sustain high-level performance consistently. While we expect Carlos Alcaraz to make deep runs in most tournaments, Rublev is often seen as someone likely to fall short before the semifinals of Grand Slams.
Rublev is a solid clay-court player, which made his early loss to American Brandon Nakashima at the Barcelona Open even more surprising. Nakashima had only previously beaten one top-ten player, and American players generally struggle on clay. It seems that Rublev is caught in a mental rut and is struggling to find a way out of his current slump.
Rublev’s current slump includes a four-match losing streak, something he hasn’t experienced since 2024. The key difference now is that in 2024, Rublev was still emerging on the tour, suffering losses to players like Taylor Fritz and David Ferrer. In contrast, during this current rough patch, he has been defeated by players like Tomas Machac and Jiri Lehecka, who are below his physical capabilities. Rublev should be performing better than these opponents.
Stefanos Tsitsipas was kind to himself this past weekend, claiming his third Monte-Carlo Masters title in as many years. Clay is undoubtedly his best surface, making him a serious contender for the French Open. However, Tsitsipas remains cautious about facing Rafael Nadal on clay, particularly given Nadal’s 16 French Open titles and the fact that he will likely remain the favorite for as long as he continues to compete.
In his post-match press conference following his victory over Casper Ruud, Tsitsipas was asked about Nadal’s current form and the possibility of facing him at Roland Garros. Tsitsipas responded candidly, saying, “Whether he’s played little or this is his first tournament back, we all know what Rafael Nadal is capable of and how quickly he can adapt to clay, one of his favorite surfaces.”
He added, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Rafa made it to the final in Barcelona, because that’s something he’s done year after year. He has that competitive spirit and aggressive game that often seems unstoppable.”
