“One week can change everything,” he had said. Andrey Rublev a few days ago, after hitting the Madrid Masters 1000 with a victory against Carlos Alcaraz, defending champion. How right the Russian was, who came to Magic Box with a negative streak of four consecutive defeats and ended up lifting the trophy and making history in the tournament in the Spanish capital.
Rublev, seventh favorite in the tournament, won the final 4-6, 7-5 and 7-5 against the Canadian Very happy Auger, 35th in the ranking, after lifting a match in which he had started difficult, won his second crown in this category – the second in importance behind the Grand Slam – and achieved an unprecedented achievement. Because he became the first player to lift the singles and doubles trophies of the event, since last year he won the couples tournament with his compatriot Karen Khachanov.
The 26-year-old Muscovite needed 2 hours and 48 minutes to defeat Auger Aliassime and add the Madrid trophy to a record that already has 16, including the one he had won last year in Montecarlo.
“I don’t know what to say. I think it was an incredible match. Felix deserved to win today just as much as I did, it was a great battle. The most important thing is that people enjoyed it. Of course, there had to be a winner, but I don’t have words,” he commented excitedly under the closed roof (due to the rain) of the stadium Manolo Santana.
“If you knew what I went through these last few days, you wouldn’t have imagined me winning this title, but I’m tremendously happy. The doctors did magic,” he added. “It’s the title I’m most proud of in my career. I’ve been almost dead these days, I couldn’t sleep at night for the last four days.”
The Russian played the game with some signs of fever, after battling with the flu in the previous days. Although he did not make it public until after the final, it was clear that in the first games He was not comfortable and it was difficult for him to get into the game.
Rublev began by losing his serve against the Canadian, who confirmed the break and went ahead 2-0. The gap was insurmountable for the Russian, who saw his opponent break his serve again in the fifth game to go up 4-1.
The Moscow-born, former world five, was able to recover a break and saved a set point with his serve in the ninth game, but in the following game the Canadian closed the set.
Auger Aliassime was very firm with his serve (14 aces in the match), but in the second set, Rublev began to grow, becoming increasingly stronger from the back of the court.
The Russian wasted a break point in the sixth game to take advantage. And he had to wait until the 12th game to finally make a break, score 7-5 and send the match to a third set.
In that decisive set, Auger Aliassime had more and more problems maintaining his serve, although he always managed to hold on against a Rublev who wasted three break chances. But two double faults in the 12th game cost the Canadian dearly, who gave up serve and handed the title to his rival.
“It is the title that makes me most proud of my career,” Rublev said. Photo EFE/Chema Moya.
Rublev had landed in Madrid after losing in his second appearance in Indian Wells and fall into their debuts in Miami, Montecarlo y Barcelona. In the Caja Mágica, he scored triumphs against Facundo Bagnis, Alexander Davidovich Fokina, Tallon Greek trackAlcaraz (the first against a top 3 since the end of 2022, when he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas -then 3rd- at the ATP Finals in Turin) and Auger Aliassime.
With the victory he made sure to make a two-step jump: this Monday he will appear sixth in the ATP rankings, one place away from his best historical position. And now he will face Roma and then, Roland Garros with renewed confidence and his tennis at a high level.
“I suffered a little, but it’s normal. Felix is a great player. I love playing in Madrid and I hope to return for many more years,” Rublev commented. And he closed: “I’m very happy. This week everything changed.”