Rublev swears in interview as Russian wins Madrid Open with Khachanov

Andrey Rublev swore in his winner’s interview after he and compatriot Karen Khachanov picked up the men’s doubles title in Madrid on Saturday. The top 15 singles players won their first title together and the younger Russian joked about his previous record playing alongside Khachanov, saying his partner “gave him s***” for not winning titles together.

Rublev and Khachanov won their first doubles title as a team together on Saturday, defeating doubles veterans Rohan Bopanna and Matt Ebden 6-3 3-6 [10-3]. The Russian duo grew up together and trained in Spain as teenagers, making Madrid’s Caja Magica a fitting place for their first trophy together.

After the match, the singles world No 6 gave an X-rated interview as he joked about his past record in the doubles with Khachanov, having lost two Masters finals in the past. “You cannot imagine how much s*** he was giving me because I was winning titles with other partners,” Rublev joked after the pair won the title.

“Denys [Molchanov], there was someone else with the other guys. He was giving me a lot of s*** that, ‘you win with everyone, as soon as he plays once he wins with everyone and with me you never win.'” And Rublev claimed that he saved his biggest and best doubles title for his long-time friend and partner.

He continued: “Now we win the biggest one. I keep the biggest one for you.” The pair will now be 12th in the doubles race to the ATP Finals as a result of their win, and are both in the top eight of the singles race too.

While Turin isn’t their goal, both men said they would happily play the singles and doubles events at the ATP Finals if they made it. “I mean we’re going to keep playing but I don’t know how good we’re going to do because normally we lose first rounds,” Rublev joked.

Khachanov added: “We will be but definitely if it has to happen definitely we will be happy to play in Turin like Nick Kyrgios with Thanasi [Kokkinakis], they played last year.” The 26-year-old then impressed the Madrid crowd as he brought out his language knowledge to give his victory speech in Spanish while Rublev also did the same, with both men having Spanish coaches.

And the jokes continues after the trophy ceremony, as Rublev laughed and claimed that they played doubles for the “money”. During another interview with Prime Video, the pair were asked why they entered doubles events together while being top singles players.

“If we’ll be honest, three reasons. To practice, to enjoy and because they pay good money,” the recent Monte Carlo singles champion joked. And Khachanov tipped his partner to keep playing doubles for years, saying: “Andrey will play tennis I think after 40 when he will be retired in singles, he will play until 55 in doubles definitely. I don’t know if I will be his partner.”

And Rublev kept the laughter coming, responding: “Until 80 I will play doubles.” But Khachanov quipped: “You have to live until 80 hopefully,” with Rublev concluding: “I forgot I have to die before.”

Source: Read Full Article