"If it works for Rafael Nadal, perfect" - After Novak Djokovic's admission of intimidation, Andrey Rublev weighs in on Spaniard's pre-match routine

Andrey Rublev was recently asked whether Rafael Nadal's dynamic pre-match regime has ever intimidated him. This came after Novak Djokovic's recent admission that he felt intimidated by Nadal's routine.

Rublev had a tough outing during his first-round match at the 2024 Australian Open on Sunday (January 14), needing five sets and nearly four hours to dispatch Brazil's Thiago Seyboth Wild. Speaking to the press following his win, the 26-year-old was asked to give his take on the subject of Rafael Nadal's jumping in front of his opponents in the player tunnel.

The notion of the 37-year-old intimidating his opponents with his pre-match routines first gained traction during Novak Djokovic's interview for 60 Minutes last year. The Serb said back then that Nadal jumping all over the locker room with music blasting in his headphones irritated him.

"I'm playing Nadal in Roland Garros, and I have his locker next to my locker, right? And we're tryin' to give each other space. But then the locker room is also not that big," Djokovic said last year.

"And, the way you jump around like he does before we go out on the court. In the locker room, he's doing sprints next to you. I can even hear the music he's listening to, you know, in his headphones. So, you know, it's pissing me off," he added.

While Djokovic had a strong opinion on Nadal's regime, Rublev was more accepting of it. The World No. 5 claimed that Nadal's pre-match routines must help him feel better. He also said that virtually every player followed some kind of "rituals" before walking on-court for their matches.

"I guess every player, they have their rituals or their own things that they like to do before the match, kind of routines. Rafa, this is his way. I think it's just the most important thing. If it works for him, then perfect," Andrey Rublev said to the local media in Melbourne.

"How can I feel? If it works for him, then perfect. The most important thing that for each player to find those routine things that he will feel better, for each player to find by themself," he further explained.

"Maybe it can work... but maybe you're a different type" - Andrey Rublev on players copying Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal (R) and Andrey Rublev greet each other at the net following their 2017 US Open match

Andrey Rublev, however, did warn his peers against copying Rafael Nadal out of admiration. He believes that every player should have a personalized routine to relieve stress before a match.

"Because maybe if you try to copy those things, maybe it can work as well. But maybe because you're different type, it's not going to work with you and you need something else," he said. "It's just whatever works for you better, that's the best."

The 22-time Major winner leads Andrey Rublev by a close margin of 2-1 in their head-to-head meetings. While the Spaniard won the first two matches in their rivalry convincingly, at the 2017 US Open and the 2020 ATP Finals, the Russian defeated him in three sets at the 2021 Monte Carlo Masters.