Rublev Finds His Perfect Match in Marat Safin: “It’s Going Really Well”
HALLE, Germany — There’s a German saying: “Every pot finds its lid.” For Andrey Rublev, that lid may very well be former world No. 1 Marat Safin.
When the surprise coaching duo announced a trial partnership in early April, Rublev admitted to Tennis.com, “Deep down, I always wanted to work with him. But I thought he wasn’t interested, and I never wanted to push him — I really care about Marat.”
But fate had other plans. Safin, as it turns out, was eyeing a return to the tennis world. Rublev didn’t hesitate. “I figured, why not ask? I had nothing to lose,” he said. “So my agent reached out, and step by step, we started working together.”
Fast forward three months and the collaboration is gaining momentum. Speaking ahead of Roland Garros 2025 — where Rublev reached the fourth round before falling to Jannik Sinner — the Russian star sounded optimistic: “Things are going well. Paris is our final test. After that, we’ll see how it evolves.”
Now, at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, Rublev seems even more certain:
“I’m happy and want to keep working with Marat,” he said with a smile. “We’ve talked — a few things still need sorting, but everything should be okay.”
Though cautious not to make it official just yet, Rublev’s tone was hopeful: “We’re still ironing out the details, but it’s looking good.”