Rublev: 'Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic are best in history, I can't..'

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World no. 14 Andrey Rublev is one of the contenders for the place in the top-20 in the rest of the season, already winning 15 matches and two titles in 2020. With just over 300 points to defend until Hamburg, Andrey will have the opportunity to earn many points in the next five months and seek the place in the elite group, raising his level after a couple of tough injuries and showing talent in its full glory.

The Russian won two matches in Dubai to reach the quarter-final, losing to Daniel Evans and earning some well-deserved rest after not having duties in the next week's Davis Cup Qualifiers as his country already secured the place at the Davis Cup Finals.

Asked about the rivals from the top, Rublev once again repeated that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are the greatest players in history and that he has to work hard on improvements to come even close to their level.

"I'm not Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic, they are the best in history and I can't compare with them. Maybe you can ask some guys like Stan Wawrinka what we need to be more like them because he also won a couple of Grand Slam.

If you ask me, there are so many things I have to improve to become a better player and crack the top-10; I need to be more mentally strong because I think I'm among the weakest players in the top-20 in that segment. There are so many things I can improve: my return, my serve, even physical-wise the way I move and hit the ball.

We will see if I can do that. When you are a young tennis player, there are always many challenges waiting around the corner. I remember I got a little bit blind with this when everybody says you are going to have a great future, so you start to act more relaxed.

Then, with time, I began to see the real-life and the fact it's not that easy, understanding it differently. You will experience pressure in every sport and that's normal. It is especially evident in tennis, with a different tournament every week and only one winner in the end.

You have to stay focused for about 30 weeks every year. It is important to accept things that have not been going well, knowing you can improve them already next week and chase notable results."