Rublev on his next opponent at the Australian Open: “You told me the name, but I still don’t know who it is”

Russian tennis player Andrei Rublev told how the presence of former world number one Marat Safin on the coaching staff influences him, and also admitted that he knows nothing about his next opponent in the Australian Open bracket.

In the first round match of the Australian Open, Rublev beat Italian representative Matteo Arnaldi with a score of 6:4, 6:2, 6:3. In the second round, the Russian will meet with the Portuguese Jaime Faria.

— What does cooperation with Marat Safin give you? Are we talking about practicing exercises in training or about some technical and tactical issues?

— Honestly, I don’t know. It calms and relaxes.

– So you’re saying that off-court actions are just as important as on-court events?

– Everything is important. I don’t know what else to say.

– Let’s talk about your next opponent Jaime Faria. Do you know anything about him?

— I don’t know who I’m playing with because I didn’t check the draw. You told me the name, but I still don’t know who it is,” Rublev said after the match.

Safin and Rublev have been collaborating since the spring of 2025. Now the Russian is 15th in the ATP rankings, Faria is 151st in the world.