Jannik Sinner’s unstoppable march through the Masters 1000 circuit continued this week, as the world No. 1 defeated Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open. The straight-sets defeat not only handed Sinner his record-breaking 32nd consecutive Masters 1000 victory but also exposed the issue most of his opponents face: a mental block. During the match, Rublev’s coach, former world No. 1 Marat Safin, delivered an expletive-laden dose of tough love from the player’s box, trying to help with Rublev’s struggles.
Coach Marat Safin Frustrated by Andrey Rublev’s Lack of Belief Against Jannik Sinner
While making historic winning streaks and records each week, Sinner’s invincibility, especially with Carlos Alcaraz out and no one to challenge, has become a headache for the opponents who step onto the court already feeling defeated.
During the quarterfinal in Rome, Rublev found himself caught in this situation. As unforced errors increased in the second set, Rublev repeatedly looked toward his box for answers.
Captured by the live match broadcast audio, Safin, Rublev’s coach since 2025, leaned forward and gave Rublev a blunt reality check: “I can’t understand why you can’t understand that you can beat him, f**k.”
🗣 “No puedo entender por qué no puedes entender que puedes ganarle, joder”.
— Marat Safin a Andrey Rublev pic.twitter.com/VsYfEHVEkW https://t.co/BpytKjb9oA
— Tiempo De Tenis (@Tiempodetenis1) May 14, 2026
Recently, other top-tier players have also openly admitted to this pressure.
Alexander Zverev, another fixture in the Top 5, recently spoke about the exact psychological hurdle that Safin would want Rublev to clear. Although Zverev’s statements about him being on the same level as Djokovic and Alcaraz, and Sinner on another level, have been controversial, he has also noted that the hardest part of facing the Italian isn’t tactical, but mental.
“You step on the court and the pressure is already there,” Zverev admitted earlier this season. “I have to believe that I can beat him, and right now, that is the hardest thing to do when he is playing like this.”
Daniil Medvedev also weighed in. “In a way, to beat Jannik, you need to play your best tennis, which we’re not crazy, I’m not going to touch the line on every shot,” Medvedev admitted. “You need to have a good day so that your shots are working, your serve is working, you put him under pressure. It’s not easy to do this kind of stuff.”
MORE: Jannik Sinner’s First Opponent Trolls Himself Over Italian’s 32-Match Masters Streak
Against Sinner, Rublev only has a 3-8 win-loss record. While Rublev managed to win at the Montreal Masters in 2024, the Italian has completely dominated their recent encounters, including a brutal 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 blowout at the 2025 French Open.
Be that as it may, Rublev boasts a strong 18-9 record in 2026, including three semifinal appearances and a run to the final in Barcelona. He has not won a Grand Slam yet, but has won the masters titles in Monte Carlo and Madrid once.
Next up, Rublev and Safin will turn their attention to Roland Garros. Meanwhile, the world No. 1 advances to a semifinal clash against Medvedev today.
