Andrey Rublev‘s journey in 2024 has been filled with extreme challenges. While he’s won only two ATP titles this season, his will to improve and stay focused is quite impressive, to say the least. Since turning pro, back in 2014, the Russian tennis sensation has worked on becoming the best version of himself in the world of tennis. Rublev’s constant passion for the sport is mostly fueled by the support from his parents, especially his mother. She’s the one who’s been a true force behind his rise on the global scale in the last decade.

Rublev was born in 1997 to Andrey Rublev Sr. and Marina Marenko. While his father is a former professional boxer, his mother Marina is a tennis coach. Notably, she’s also worked with WTA player Anna Kournikova. Being the son of a tennis coach, Rublev got attracted to the sport at an early age as Marina tried her best to provide him with all kinds of requirements.

In all his growing up years, Marina always stood by his side. In an interview with Sportstar, back in 2016, Rublev heavily emphasized the crucial role of his mother in his career. He said, “I don’t even remember how early I started tennis. Whatever I am today is because of my mom and she has taught me everything in tennis and still does.”

Thanks to the constant efforts of his mother and his own consistency, Andrey has now earned a place in the top 10. Currently, he’s ranked No.8 as he’s participating in the ATP Finals. With decent performances in 2024, the Russian managed to qualify for the season finale in Turin. For those unaware, he clinched the Hong Kong Open trophy at the beginning of the year. Later, he also went on to win the Madrid Open in May.

Additionally, Rublev also succeeded in reaching the final of the Canadian Open in August. However, he did face a lot of personal challenges throughout the year. Back in May, he talked about how it became extremely tough for him to deal with repeated losses.

When Andrey Rublev shed light on his mental health due to performance failures

Losing constantly often affects a player negatively. It happened with Rublev as well when he felt like he couldn’t do better despite all his efforts. While appearing in an episode of the Tennis Insider Club’s podcast, dated May 7th, he revealed that constant defeats made him depressed. “Before was affecting a lot. A lot I could be depressed, I don’t know, whatever, three days recovering, now I’m tired (laughs). So I try at least in the year surpassing so far so and then we’re losing every week,” he said.

Continuing further, he added, “And if they’re every week, you are depressed for one week, and there’s no moment to enjoy your life. So I tried to separate okay, yes, of course, when I’m losing, I don’t have a good mood. But I tried to at least don’t kill myself. It’s tough to have a good mood or something.”

Fortunately, he eventually managed to find peace during the Madrid Open, where he made a strong return. After winning the Madrid title, he got very emotional and said, “If you knew what I have been through last nine days you would not imagine that I would be able to win a title.”

As of now, Andrey Rublev is competing in the ATP Finals against the top-ranked players in the world. After losing his first match in the tournament against Alexander Zverev, the Russian is set for his next encounter on Wednesday against Carlos Alcaraz. Do you think he can bounce back? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.