"I didn't learn anything" - Andrey Rublev on facing Novak Djokovic for the third time in 2023 at Paris Masters

Andrey Rublev has set up a clash with Novak Djokovic for the third time this season, this time in the semifinals of the 2023 Paris Masters. Following his quarter-final win, the Russian made an honest admission about facing the World No. 1.

Playing his first ATP event since winning the US Open, Novak Djokovic got the better of Tomas Etcheverry and Tallon Griekspoor in the initial rounds of the Paris Masters. He took on defending champion Holger Rune in the quarter-final on Friday, November 3. The Serb, who lost to Rune in last year’s final, turned the tables this time around and edged the Dane with a hard-fought 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-4 victory.

Andrey Rublev, meanwhile, earned a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 comeback win against Alex de Minaur in the quarter-final, crushing the Aussie’s chances of making his ATP Finals debut in the process. The Russian’s previous wins came against Yoshihito Nishioka and Botic van de Zandschulp.

Following his late-night finish against de Minaur, Rublev shared his thoughts on the upcoming match-up against Novak Djokovic for a spot in the Paris Masters final.

"I didn’t learn," the Russian confessed, recalling his head-to-head against the Serb during his on-court interview. "The score is… the four times that he beat me, he beat me almost at zero. So, I didn’t learn anything, man."

Despite Djokovic's dominance, Andrey Rublev will be looking to turn the corner in their upcoming sixth career meeting at the Paris Masters.

“I wish – we’ll see. We’ll see tomorrow. Maybe I learnt something after these five matches,” he said.

The winner of Rublev vs Djokovic will face the winner of Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Grigor Dimitrov in the final on Sunday.

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A brief look at Andrey Rublev and Novak Djokovic's meetings so far

The duo at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships

Andrey Rublev and Novak Djokovic have faced each other five times, with their head-to-head record favoring the Serb 4-1.

Two of their meetings came in the 2021 and 2022 editions of the ATP Finals, with the Serb winning in straight sets on both occasions (6-3, 6-2 and 6-4, 6-1, respectively).

At the 2022 Serbia Open final, however, Andrey Rublev earned a commendable victory over the World No. 1, defeating him 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-0 to clinch the title.

The duo’s most recent meetings have come in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Australian Open and the Wimbledon Championships. Novak Djokovic emerged as the winner in both, with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win in Melbourne and a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 win at SW19.

After defeating Rublev on the grasscourt in their latest clash, Djokovic heaped praised on the Russian and acknowledged his devotion to the sport.

“He was the best I faced him on a Grand Slam," the 24-time Grand Slam champion said in his post-match presser. "It's also something that is expected from a player like him, who is a very hard worker, very dedicated to the sport, always tries to improve. I can see the improvement without a doubt. I think he played a terrific tennis. He was putting a lot of pressure.”