Andrey Rublev has enlisted the help of Marat Safin to join his coaching team as he seeks to break out of a challenging spell and regain form ahead of the upcoming clay season.
The addition of Safin, a two-time Grand Slam champion who triumphed at both the Australian and US Opens during his playing days, signals Rublev’s commitment to addressing the struggles that have plagued his game recently. Safin will team up with Rublev for the clay court swing, but Fernando Vicente will remain his primary coach, according to Russian media outlet Bolshe.
Rublev, currently ranked No. 9 in the world, has faced difficulties in 2025, despite clinching a title in Doha with a win over Jack Draper. However, his momentum faltered as he suffered early exits in Dubai, Indian Wells, and more recently, the Miami Open.
The Russian star had worked with Safin last year and credited his countryman for helping him navigate through the struggles that had crept into his game. Reflecting on the tough period in his career, Rublev admitted that he had been “lost” for years, unsure of his direction both on and off the court.
“I was just kind of in a loop lost with myself for a couple of years of, I don’t know, not finding the way, not understanding what to do, what for,” Rublev shared candidly. “I don’t know, sounds a bit maybe dramatic or whatever, like what the reason or purpose to live like that or stuff like that. There is no… I don’t know, just completely lost. Let’s put it this way, completely lost with myself and that’s it.”
The mental strain began to take its toll after years of uncertainty, and Rublev opened up about how the ongoing struggle began to weigh on him. “The thing is one thing when it’s happening one, month, two months, three months. Maybe you still have patience or something. But when it happens one year, two year, three year, four year, five… When it’s coming for many, many years, in one moment you cannot take it anymore. It’s like one pain that starts to grow more and more and more, and more, and you want to cut the arm and that’s it.”
In his search for relief, Rublev experimented with antidepressants, but soon realized the medication wasn’t providing lasting benefits. “I was taking antidepressants. But then after one year of taking them, I realised that because in the beginning it looks like it was a bit better, but then nothing after. After a while I realised that it’s not getting worse, but something’s weird. I don’t like the feeling I’m having now even more. So I just stopped taking them, and that’s it.”
It was then that Rublev turned to Safin for support. “With the help of Marat, he kind of made me understand myself or look at myself, let’s put it that way,” Rublev explained. “That’s it. That was kind of a bit of restart from the bottom. Then from there, at least I was able, little by little, to start to move in a better direction.”
Now, with his mindset improving, Rublev feels like he is finally moving toward a better place, despite not being entirely content yet. “I mean, like I was saying in the beginning of the year, I’m not happy. I’m not in a good or bad place, but I’m not feeling any more stress, I’m not feeling anxious, I’m not having depression. Let’s put it that way. I’m just neutral. Not happy, not bad, but at least I found a base. That’s a beginning.”
With Marat Safin’s guidance, Rublev is optimistic that he can continue to make strides, both mentally and on the court, as he prepares to turn his form around and approach the challenges of the clay season with renewed focus.