Andrey Rublev moved into elite company on Thursday, joining Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to reach the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships five times. The 28-year-old Russian brushed aside France's Arthur Rinderknech 6-2, 6-4 in just 75 minutes.
He lifted the Dubai trophy in 2022 and has consistently made deep runs at the tournament between 2021 and 2024, reaching at least the semifinals in each of those campaigns. Rublev, champion here in 2022 and runner-up a year later, stormed through 11 of the opening 14 games, striking 19 winners while limiting his unforced errors to 11. This kind of sustained excellence puts him in the same statistical conversation as tennis' greatest champions. The Serbian great advanced to the semifinals 10 times during his career, while Federer holds the record with 11 appearances in the final four.
Today, Rublev is a completely different player, holding the 18th position in the ATP ranking and aiming to be a regular in the final rounds of major tournaments again. The arrival of Marat Safin to his coaching team has provided him with a new focus in his style, and several months later, he feels confident to make the necessary leap towards returning to the top 10 and winning major tournaments. His path through Dubai shows a player hitting his stride at exactly the right moment in the season. Related ATP action includes Vacherot's dominant performance at ATP Acapulco, another showcase of rising form on the pro tour.
What's particularly striking is how Rublev has rebuilt his game from a difficult 2025. That streak was halted last year with a first-round exit, making this season's resurgence particularly significant. Now, with his name etched into Dubai history alongside two of the sport's all-time greats, Rublev has a real chance to add another title to his resume at one of his favorite venues.