Rublev eyes physical battle as UTS London Grand Final awaits
Andrey Rublev says he’s in “much better shape” heading into the Victorian Plumbing UTS London Grand Final, where he’ll face a gruelling Group A draw alongside defending champion Alex de Minaur, Tomas Machac and Adrian Mannarino
Andrey Rublev, UTS London
The Victorian Plumbing UTS London Grand Final kicks off on Friday at the Copper Box Arena, and Andrey Rublev is ready to put a difficult 2025 season behind him.
The two-time UTS champion — who won in Frankfurt (2023) and Oslo (2024) — knows his path to a third title won’t come easy. All three of his group-stage opponents are renowned for their court coverage and ability to extend rallies, something Rublev believes will test every aspect of his game.
“I like the group. It’s a challenging group because it will take a lot of effort in terms of legs, physical, heart condition,” Rublev said ahead of the event. “All those three players, they have amazing legs and they play long rallies. So you cannot rush with them, you cannot hit in two shots.
“It will kind of challenge me to bring a higher level in terms of mental, in terms of physical, in terms of legs, in terms of the way I will think on a court. And I like it because it’s going to be a nice challenge for me to see if I’m kind of able to do this or not really.”
Machac poses opening test
Rublev’s first assignment comes against Tomas Machac, the Czech who claimed the UTS Guadalajara title earlier this year, at 7pm local time on Friday. The pair have met once before on the ATP Tour, with Machac coming out on top — and the Russian has clearly done his homework.
“I know him a bit because we played once on Tour and he beat me. I know that he’s a super fighter. He has a good mental part. He stays stable. Really amazing backhand, great mobility and legs,” said Rublev. “So I think it’s going to be an intense match with a lot of long rallies, waiting for opportunities to step in and attack. It’s not like a match boom-boom. You need to build a point.”
From there, Rublev faces both defending champion Alex de Minaur — the man he beat in last year’s Oslo final — and French veteran Adrian Mannarino to round out the group stage on Saturday.
“Much better” physical shape
The Russian endured a turbulent 2025 season that saw him drop out of the world’s top 10 for the first time since 2020 and miss the ATP Finals. But he insists his physical condition has improved significantly compared to 12 months ago.
“I think much better compared to last year. Sure, much better. I feel much better,” he said.
Rublev also sees UTS as valuable preparation for the 2026 season, with its fast-paced format providing a unique form of conditioning.
“It helps a lot for your work because here you will do kind of endurance workout but with emotions, which is even tougher,” he explained. “Just to do endurance, sometimes you switch on like a robot mode and you don’t think — you just need to suffer and that’s it. And here you need to suffer, but also you have emotions and you need to think.
“It’s like an even much better endurance workout compared to what players are doing in gyms or on the court during practice.”
Vicente partnership “super good”
The 27-year-old also spoke glowingly about his coaching setup, with long-time mentor Fernando Vicente — who has worked with Rublev for nearly a decade — continuing to lead his team alongside former world No 1 Marat Safin, who joined earlier this year.
“So good. I don’t know for the moment what to say, but so good. He helps me a lot, a lot, a lot in many ways,” Rublev said of Vicente. “And our relationship, I think, is getting better and better. I think both of us enjoy it. Him enjoying working, I’m enjoying practicing. It’s been super good.
“He’s doing all pre-season with me. He’s coming to Australia.”
With Jack Draper’s withdrawal seeing Ugo Humbert slot into Group B alongside Casper Ruud, Francisco Cerundolo and David Goffin, the stage is set for what promises to be the strongest UTS Grand Final field yet.
