Andrey Rublev is learning that sharing his kind heart with everyone needs to include himself

Thoughtful. Genuine. Funny. Open. Generous.

These are a range of the words today’s ATP and WTA players use to highlight one of their own. By now, Andrey Rublev has established himself as a Top 10 mainstay thanks to an unquestionable desire to win and a formidable—perhaps even unrivaled—work ethic. He’s also a sensitive soul with a heart bigger than Arthur Ashe Stadium. That quality resonates most with his peers, pointing to why kind is a prevalent descriptor when summing up a tour colleague who spreads unconditional compassion to everyone—except himself.

For all that’s he’s accomplished, humility is still deeply rooted within Rublev’s DNA. When Daniil Medvedev declared that his good friend was “probably the kindest person on tour” during this year’s Dubai trophy ceremony, Rublev immediately yelled back that “it’s a big lie!” He doesn’t like to talk about himself unless it relates to self-improvement or atoning for a lapse in judgment, and one won’t find the Russian showing off on Instagram to his near 500,000 followers. Those who’ve come to know Rublev over the years are more than gracious enough to do it for the unassuming fan favorite.

“That's the guy who will never allow you to pay in any restaurant, or if you go out or to visit something. That will just not happen. He's always trying to take care of others,” Daria Kasatkina shares in an email. “Andrey, he's a very simple guy. He's so open and if you approach him, he will never refuse to talk to you. He’s a very nice, shining guy, and just a great human being.”

“Andrey is very fierce and intense on court, and off court he is in a way like the opposite. He is a very nice, kind, calm person. He is very funny, smiles a lot,” reflects Casper Ruud by phone. “He’s an easy guy to talk to. He likes to have fun and throw some funny pranks here and there.”

“He's very caring about everyone, his surroundings. He shows that with fans, with kids around the tennis grounds, always,” asserts Alexander Zverev, who like Kasatkina forged a friendship with Rublev during their junior days. “He's very misunderstood in a way because of maybe how he is on the court as he's very competitive. But that has nothing to do with what kind of person he is.”

From Rublev’s perspective, the art of being kind is a direct reflection of staying humble. In his eyes, zero thought should be given to the potential advantages gained from the cause and effect of one’s actions.

“If people behave bad to you or they did some bad things to you, be kind and don’t answer in the same way,” he begins during our conversation in Halle. “And in general, help people without any benefits and without expecting anything back. Because with my experience that I had, most of the times people help only because they see interest in this, or they think if I help now, later it will give me something. Not many people just help without any expectation and benefits. That, I would say is kindness for me.”

This past April, Rublev checked off a long-awaited career milestone when he hoisted the trophy in Monte Carlo to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title. Congratulatory messages lit up his phone—and while Rublev could have reveled in the adoration received by some of his closest tour-mates, he redirected the narrative of incoming texts. Take Dominic Thiem, who addressed his on-court struggles during our catch-up in Germany and referenced Rublev as a source of support during a trying period.

“He just has a very, very good heart. I was congratulating him for Monte Carlo and he was replying with a very nice message if I want to talk, if I need some advice and some help in those difficult times, he was there for me,” Thiem recalls. “He was sending me that answer and giving me that possibility. He doesn't have to do that, right? That was unbelievably nice from him and it shows also what kind of guy he is.”

Countrywoman Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova had a similar exchange. Sidelined with a knee injury that at one stage prevented her from hitting for five months, the 2021 Roland Garros finalist found a constant supply of encouragement from Rublev once she resumed playing.

“When I was coming back this year from an injury and I had some tough losses or early losses, Andrey was always the first one to text me and ask me how I felt. He was always trying to cheer me on,” Pavlyuchenkova discloses ahead of her final 2023 event in Hong Kong. “I'm sure that we have this friendship with anything that I would need, he will for sure do it.

“He's incredibly humble, I think, for what he's done for the sport and achieved. Just has his feet on the ground, head down and just working hard. Always thinks that he's underdog or that he doesn't deserve something. He's super compassionate and kind. He always denies it and I know that really well. Andrey has an unreal big heart.”

That warm spirit is abundantly clear through the sincere relationship Rublev builds with fans around the globe. In Halle, he was frequently spotted obliging those patiently waiting behind the rails of a walkway that connects the tournament grounds with the on-site player hotel each time he passed by. Weeks earlier in Rome, a young girl who was overwhelmed meeting her idol was soon met with a reassuring hug from Rublev. And before that, an industry colleague recounted to me how Rublev stayed for upwards of a half hour to greet ticket holders in Banja Luka after enduring a tough final-round defeat to Dusan Lajovic.

Rublev naturally downplays his impact.

“It is nice that everyone thinks that I'm always signing, but it's not like that. Obviously, I try to sign as much as I can. It's the easiest way to be thankful and grateful for the people who came to support tennis. And I think it's also nice for them that they know that if they go for tennis, there will be some tennis players that they will take picture and autograph or something like that, that they will have also a great memory, and it will help them maybe come back again. That’s good for everyone.”

While Rublev brushes it off, this trait has been picked up by those around him. One person of note being Medvedev. Their history, of course, can be drawn back to emotionally-charged days as adolescents hungry to be king of the court, but it’s Rublev’s evolution in recent years that has stayed with the 2021 US Open champion. The way he approaches human connection, especially with children, is one of the reasons Medvedev and wife Daria selected Rublev to be the godfather of their first child, daughter Alisa.

“I could say many, many things about his kindness, but if you want to choose one, I would say his attitude towards the kids. That's great because, when you're a kid, you dream the most,” Medvedev explains during a post-match chat in Halle. “I feel like when you're a kid, most of the time you have only positive experiences and I feel like Andrey’s trying to really grow this in them.

“I love this attitude and that's why I actually chose him to be my family.”

In January, Rublev and his team unveiled Rublo. The personal clothing brand’s purpose isn’t so much about the apparel itself, an assertion made during the initial launch, but rather a much larger ambition of creating a better world through equality, hope, and that kindred word—kindness.

“I am proud of the man he is,” declares agent Galo Blanco. “He chose to not renew with Nike after such a long, beautiful relationship so that he could create his own brand and sell products to donate to kids’ charities. He is such a charitable guy. Andrey’s big heart is so pure. Nothing is too serious, he can laugh at himself and is amazing to be around.”

With all the love Rublev gives out, little is reserved for himself. There’s being one’s own worst critic and then there’s Andrey Rublev blasting Andrey Rublev. This can result in his emotional walls being fully exposed during match play and when that happens, the self-destruction turns off certain viewers. For all the worthy opponents he’s battled, Rublev versus Rublev ranks highly among his most challenging matchups.

“I played alongside him, and every time I could sense, feel, or see the frustration. He would miss a ball and always be tough on himself, always doubted himself,” says Pavlyuchenkova. “I was calling him a little emo because sometimes he had these down and sad times. I think he's gotten much better and is obviously more mature, and he will get through this, I'm sure. He's doing well.”

There was a time when Rublev felt like he respected himself more. That phase, though, came before his first big splash at the 2017 US Open. As expectations have increased with each passing season, self-care has taken a back seat, all while his regards for everyone else has intensified.

“I need to improve. Yes. Because I'm, how do you call this, completely an abuser to myself,” Rublev admits when we discuss self-esteem issues. “At 17, I was more asshole, but I was at least more kind to myself. At that time, I was nicer to myself but not that nice to others. Then some situations in my life, they teach me and they open my eyes from a different point of the view. And I realized many things.”

Rublev’s love for the game and playing for more than himself is undeniable. When he and Kasatkina were on the same 2014 Youth Olympics squad, the two were mixed doubles partners. Ahead of their second-rounder, Rublev's body was taxed after closing out a lengthy three-set singles match. Rather than throw in the towel, he turned to an unfamiliar remedy to avoid letting his teammate down.

“He’s got his demons inside his head, but the guy as a person is one of the kindest. The only mixed doubles I played in my life was with Andrey. He drank this non-alcoholic beer, I think first time in his life. He tried something like that so we could play. We messed it up completely,” laughs Kasatkina.

Down the road, Rublev had another crack at mixed doubles. He and Pavlyuchenkova emerged as the surprise gold medalists from the Tokyo Olympics when their big sister-little brother dynamic played beautifully to each of their strengths. While Rublev let out his share of inner child moments, Pavlyuchenkova was captivated by a side of him she hadn’t witnessed before.

“He impressed me by how he handled the pressure. There were some matches where I probably wouldn't believe that we can win. He played every point and kept on pushing me,” she reminisces. “Even there were off-court moments where he said, ‘Okay, go to bed now. Tomorrow we have a match.’ ‘Don't stay up so long.’ ‘Stop being on the phone.’”

I feel like when you're a kid, most of the time you have only positive experiences and I feel like Andrey’s trying to really grow this in them. I love this attitude and that's why I actually chose him to be my family. Daniil Medvedev

Today, Rublev celebrates his 26th birthday. One wouldn’t expect him to approach a typically special occasion much differently to an ordinary day at the office. If there’s one proverbial wish the tennis community should unite on making for the ATP’s fifth-ranked player, it’s that he sees himself a little bit more the way the rest of the world perceives Andrey—an incredible champion of kindness with an authenticity that is treasured.

“Why I love Andrey the most out of a lot of people around is the fact he wears his heart on his sleeve. I think this is a very rare quality these days,” says Grigor Dimitrov by phone from Shanghai. “He expresses himself as he feels, as he decides, as he pleases, as he wants to be seen. My admirations for him are of course, on the court. But my respect off the court is on a different level with him.”

“He's always in a good mood, always friendly. I never saw him in a bad mood outside the court,” states Thiem. “On court, pretty often I would say (laughter). But no, he's always very respectful to everybody. He's treating everybody the same. Doesn't matter if it's a player, if it's a worker from the tournament or a worker from the hotel. That's what I really like.”

“He’s just overall a genuine, nice guy. In Turin, two years ago, we played one of the biggest matches for both of us during that year. I was able to come back and at the net after the match, he gave me a hug and said he was really happy for me,” says Ruud. “Even though in the heat of the moment sometimes it is tough to say these things, he is always able to say these things. I look forward to having a good relationship with Andrey for the years to come.”