"I will not be surprised if Rafael Nadal wins more Grand Slams": Andrey Rublev

Andrey Rublev said that he would not be surprised if Rafael Nadal won more Grand Slams on his comeback.

The Spaniard last appeared on a tennis court at the 2023 Australian Open, where he beat Jack Draper in the first round before losing to Mackenzie MacDonald. He suffered a hip injury during the latter match, which eventually went on to end his season.

After undergoing surgery and being out of action for several months, Nadal is set to return to tennis in the 2024 season, with the Brisbane International being his first tournament.

Speaking about Nadal's comeback, Rublev said that while he didn't know what the Spaniard's level was, it wouldn't be a surprise if he won more Grand Slams, adding that the likes of the 37-year-old, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic always proved people wrong whenever it was thought that their time was over.

“We don’t know yet (where his level will be at), but how many times people would say, not just about Rafa, about all those three players, every time they were injured or down and losing matches everybody was saying, ‘Now the time of Roger or time of Rafa or time of Novak, is coming to an end’ and they always proved them wrong. So I will not be surprised if he will prove it again and wins more slams," Rublev said.

Andrey Rublev is currently competing at the World Tennis League in Dubai, where he is a part of the Eagles alongside Daniil Medvedev, Sofia Kenin, and Mirra Andreeva.

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Rafael Nadal and Andrey Rublev have locked horns thrice so far

Rafael Nadal and Andrey Rublev at the 2020 ATP Finals

Rafael Nadal and Andrey Rublev have faced one another thrice, with the Spaniard leading 2-1 in the head-to-head.

The first meeting between the two came in the quarterfinals of the 2017 US Open, which the then-31-year-old won 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the semifinals where he beat Juan Martin del Potro before triumphing over Kevin Anderson in the final to win his third title at the New York Major.

They did not meet again until the round-robin stage at the 2020 ATP Finals. Nadal won 6-3, 6-4, and went on to reach the semifinals of the tournament before losing to eventual champion Daniil Medvedev.

The most recent encounter between the two came in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Monte Carlo Masters. Rublev got his first win over Nadal, winning 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 to reach the semifinals of the tournament. Here, he beat Casper Ruud to reach the final where he was beaten by Stefanos Tsitsipas.