Rublev on Safin: 'He was inspiring me since I was a kid'

Andrey Rublev does not know how long he will have Marat Safin, a member of the prestigious ATP No. 1 Club, helping his team. But the No. 9 player in the PIF ATP Rankings explained at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters that he is trying to make the most of it.

“First of all, Marat is someone that was inspiring me since I was a kid. Then obviously he knows me since I was a kid and I know him since I was a kid, and later on I started to get to know him more,” Rublev said. “He was just an amazing person and then he’s been through many tough things.

“He had his own struggles that he went through and I was always afraid to ask [about] those things, but inside I always wanted [to]. And in the end, when I found out that he was also ready and he was looking maybe to work in tennis, it was like ‘Okay, I have to at least [try]’. Maybe it’s not me, but at least I have to ask.”

Rublev’s agent, Galo Blanco, played Safin five times in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series (Safin won four of five). His longtime coach, Fernando Vicente, also played the former World No. 1 twice, so there was plenty of familiarity between Team Rublev and Safin.

“For him it was [nice that] he goes to work with someone that he knows really well the team,” Rublev said. “I think it also was helpful.”

How long will Safin, who recently began helping Rublev ahead of the clay-court season, pitch in?

“I hope for really long, but then it depends if he will enjoy to work with me or he will suffer,” Rublev said. “Because I think if he would feel that I am not doing the things or I am not listening, I don’t think he will waste his time.”

Rublev, who will play Gael Monfils in the second round in Monte-Carlo, is excited for what working with the 15-time tour-level titlist could lead to. He is focussed on listening to his team and trying to learn.

“For the moment I’m just trying to listen and to try new things,” Rublev said. “We’ll see how it will work, or what it will bring, or what’s going to happen.”