Safin, sur Rublev : "Il ne sait pas comment canaliser son énergie, il lui manque de croire en lui-même"

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 22 Jun 2026 | 12.12

Marat Safin analyse son travail avec Rublev. Photo : gettyimages

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Marat Safin has deepened the work he is doing with Andrey Rublev and has made a very revealing reflection on the problems that continue to prevent the Russian from reaching his full potential. The former world number one believes that his compatriot's limitations are related to issues of confidence, personality, and how he interprets both tennis and life.

The inclusion of Marat Safin in the environment of Andrey Rublev has sparked great anticipation in recent months. After years of working with Fernando Vicente and establishing himself as one of the most consistent players on the circuit, Rublev seemed to have reached a point of stagnation that was hard to break.

He kept winning matches, staying among the world's best, and reaching the final rounds of major tournaments, but there was a feeling that there was an invisible ceiling preventing him from making the final leap. Safin seems convinced that the solution does not lie in changing strokes or tactical patterns but in rebuilding much deeper aspects of his competitive identity.

Marat Safin explains why Rublev needed a different voice

One of the first aspects Safin addressed was the importance of introducing new stimuli into an established player's career. He believes that when a coach-player relationship lasts for many years, there is a risk that certain messages lose their effectiveness.

"When you've been with the same coach for a long time, you stop listening in the same way. The ear and the eye get used to it," he explained. According to Safin, the relationship between Rublev and Fernando Vicente had reached a very special level of closeness, which was positive in many ways but could also result in certain warnings or corrections losing impact over time.

"He no longer listened to him as a coach. He listened more as an older brother." That's why he understands that the arrival of a different figure can be beneficial. Not necessarily to change everything but to introduce new perspectives and deliver messages that may need to be heard from a different voice.

Rublev's playing style reflects his personality

The most interesting part of the conversation came when Safin was asked about the possibility of changing Rublev's tennis at this stage of his career. His response was as simple as it was profound. "The playing style is a manifestation of your character. You play as you are."

The reflection encapsulates an idea that many coaches share privately but is rarely verbalized so directly. For Safin, Rublev's issues cannot be analyzed solely from a technical standpoint because they are connected to his way of thinking and reacting to the challenges presented by competition.

In describing him, he used a very vivid image. "Andrey is an electric guy." As he explained, much of Rublev's difficulties stem precisely from the enormous emotional intensity that constantly accompanies him on the court. "He has a lot of energy, but he doesn't know where to channel it. It goes shooting off in all directions."

For years, that intensity has been one of Rublev's trademarks. It's also one of the reasons he has been able to compete at the highest level. However, Safin seems to suggest that the same quality that has allowed him to reach such heights might be limiting him in certain moments of maximum demand.

Safin: "It's not about the forehand or the backhand"

It is particularly striking that the former world number one almost completely dismisses the idea that the solution lies in technical matters. "He has to change the way he thinks." From there, he developed a theory that explains quite well the approach he is taking while working alongside Rublev.

"The way you see tennis is the way you see life." Safin believes that both dimensions are intimately connected. That's why he thinks that trying to correct only game-related details would be a mistake. "We're not talking about improving the forehand, the backhand, or changing technical issues. It doesn't work that way."

In his view, when a player is already among the world's best, the differences lie in much harder-to-identify places. "We enter a psychological terrain, much more subtle. That's where the details that make the difference are." The Russian compared that process with the difference between a good work and a masterpiece. At first glance, they may seem similar, but it's the small nuances that end up setting one player apart from another when they all have an extraordinary level.

The enormous challenge of changing when you are already an established player

Safin also explained why he considers it so difficult to introduce profound changes in a player who has been competing at the elite level for years. "It's very hard to modify those details because you have already formed as a person."

In his opinion, any real transformation requires much more than incorporating new tactical concepts or training routines. It involves questioning mental habits that have been ingrained in the player's mind for decades. "You have to reprogram yourself completely. Break old patterns and clear your inner space."

The expression may sound extreme, but it perfectly reflects the magnitude of the challenge Safin sees in Rublev. He believes that people accumulate experiences, fears, beliefs, and defense mechanisms over the years that ultimately condition their behavior in high-pressure situations. That's why he thinks any true change requires time. Much more time than what the professional calendar normally demands.

Safin's major observation on Rublev

After analyzing all these aspects, Safin ended by pointing out what he believes is the main obstacle still holding back his compatriot. "Andrey lacks belief in himself." The statement may seem simple but gains enormous significance when it comes from someone who has been closely observing one of the most talented players on the circuit.

"He needs to trust in what depends on him." Safin believes that many times Rublev ends up interpreting certain results or situations as external circumstances happening to him when, in reality, he has much more control over them than he imagines. And he concluded his reflection with a sentence that perfectly sums up his view of sports and life.

"You are either a victim or a creator. There is no third option." Perhaps therein lies the true essence of the work he is trying to develop alongside Rublev. It's not just about helping him win more matches or improving his performance in major tournaments. It's about convincing him that there is still room to build a better version of himself. A version capable of using all that energy that characterizes him without it ending up working against him. Because for Marat Safin, at least for now, Andrey Rublev's main rival is not on the opposite side of the net.

Marat Safin explains:
- His role for Andrey Rublev as a bad cop but also a teddy bear. 😄
- what Andrey's lacking and what he expects from him to change.
- also describes Andrey's character as "electric" saying he has a lot of energy he doesn't know how to channel. pic.twitter.com/c5wntbxKRN
— ᵛᵉⁿᵒᵐ ◥ ◤ | 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🏴 (@RUBL3D3V) June 22, 2026