Andrey Rublev extended his unwanted streak of Grand Slam quarter-final finishes at the 2024 Australian Open. He lost to Jannik Sinner in Melbourne, failing to advance to the semi-finals once again.
His loss against Sinner was the 10th time Rublev fell at the quarter-final hurdle in a Grand Slam. He has never reached the semi-finals, meaning he has a 0-10 record in the final eight stage. The Russian has had tough luck with opponents, always seemingly running into some of the best players in the quarters. On that note, here are the five biggest names to have defeated Rublev in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam.
1. Marin Cilic rediscovered his best touch to upset Andrey Rublev in 2022
Andrey Rublev crossed paths with Marin Cilic in the 2022 French Open quarter-finals. He had hit a dry patch in Grand Slams and this was his first appearance at this stage after the 2021 Australian Open. He was the higher-ranked player against the 2014 US Open winner, who was not the force he used to be.
However, Cilic turned back the clock, firing 33 aces to grind out a five-set win. Despite losing the first set, he won 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2) to condemn Rublev to a fifth QF exit. However, the Russian made headlines for his sportsmanship, conceding a couple of points that were wrongly ruled in his favour.
2. Stefanos Tsitsipas cruised past Andrey Rublev in 2020
Rublev faced Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals of the 2020 French Open, held in October because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was his second QF of the year after the US Open. The American Grand Slam went ahead in September as usual, hence preceding the Roland Garros in 2020.
Fifth seed Tsitsipas brushed past 13th seed Rublev for a comprehensive victory. He won 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 in just over two hours as the latter exited two Grand Slams in the quarter-finals consecutively.
3. Medvedev has defeated Rublev most times in Majors QFs
Fellow Russian and good friend Medvedev has ironically been Rublev’s biggest Grand Slam quarter-final nemesis. The 2021 US Open winner has handed the godfather of his daughter three QF defeats, more than any other player.
The two compatriots first met in a Grand Slam quarters in the 2020 US Open. This was Rublev’s only second time reaching this stage, three years after his first. He put up a good fight, forcing two tiebreaks, even as he lost 7-6, 6-3, 7-6 in straight sets. Their second meeting in the quarter-final of a Majors came shortly after, at the 2021 Australian Open. Medvedev repeated the result with a three-set 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 victory. He went on to finish as the runner-up.
It was a couple of years before the countrymen crossed paths again in a Grand Slam QF. Medvedev came up against Rublev to fight for a semi-final spot in the 2023 US Open. Once again, he dominated, winning 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, to inflict a ninth Majors quarter-final exit upon his buddy.
2. Rafael Nadal beat Andrey Rublev in his first-ever Grand Slam quarter-final
Long before he was the top 10 regular he is today, Andrey Rublev, then ranked outside the top 35, reached the quarter-finals of the 2017 US Open. He upset higher-ranked Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin to be the only unseeded player in the final eight. Nadal ended his fairytale run and kickstarted his unenviable Grand Slam quarter-finals track record, which many fans now label a ‘curse’.
With Novak Djokovic absent, Nadal was seeded first, making his QF against the unseeded Rublev a monumental mismatch. And the final scoreline reflected the gulf. The Spaniard demolished a 19-year-old Rublev 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 and went on to lift the title. This was the Russian’s first Grand Slam quarter-final and his first loss which would develop into an unfortunate record.
1. Djokovic bulldozed Rublev twice in Grand Slam QFs en route incredible 2023
Andrey Rublev made it to the quarter-finals in three Grand Slam tournaments last year and Novak Djokovic defeated him in two of them. The Serb reigned supreme with an amazing 2023 season and the current World No.5 found himself on the receiving end twice in Majors.
Rublev began his year well, reaching the final eight of the 2023 Australian Open. However, it all went out of the window when Djokovic humbled him 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. It was a golden opportunity for Rublev to achieve history. Had he defeated the Serb, he would have faced an unseeded opponent, since Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton played the other QF. Ultimately, Djokovic beat Paul and went on to lift a record 10th Australian Open title.
Rublev again ran into Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Wimbledon. He came off a tiring five-setter against Alexander Bublik but managed to win the first set against the World No.1. Djokovic, though, did what he does best and won the next three sets to eliminate Rublev from a Grand Slam quarter-final for the eighth time.
