Rublev surrenders to Nadal: “He is the best athlete in history”

Russian Andrei Rublev, winner of the St. Petersburg Tennis Open, has affirmed that the Spanish Rafael Nadal is the “best athlete in history”, and that he has learned from him that the important thing is to get through the bad days and find a way to win.

“Rafa is the only player in history that no matter how he feels, good or bad. In the end, he always finds a way to win”, Rublev declares to ATP Tour.

The 22-year-old Russian tennis player debuted as “top ten” in the tournament of the former Russian imperial capital, in which this Sunday he defeated Croatian Borna Coric in the final.

“I can't imagine how (_) what you're doing is possible. To be so mentally strong all your life and your whole career, I don't know how it's possible,” he said, confessing his admiration for Nadal, who a week ago reached his 13th Roland Garros title.

The Russian tennis player recalled that the Spanish won the Musketeers Cup without losing a set despite the adverse weather and the quality of his opponents, led by Novak Djokovic, who entered the tournament with a record 37 wins and only one loss in the year

Rublev is at the peak of his career after climbing the number eight on the world list.

The St. Petersburg Open, which has been held since 1995, it rose to the ATP 500 category this year and handed out more than $ 1.2 million in prize money.

It was played with the public, although, due to the restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus epidemic, it did not exceed 50 percent of the capacity of the Sibur-Arena complex, with a capacity for about 7,000 spectators.