Andrey Rublev enters the 2022 US Open looking to rid himself of the poor form that has plagued him throughout the past few months. The 24-year-old is the #9 overall seed at this event, marking the third straight year he has earned a Top 10 seed in New York.
Rublev had a blistering start to the 2022 season. He won 18 of his first 20 matches including back-to-back titles in Marseille and Dubai. Rublev’s game did not slow when the tour transitioned to the clay court season. He went 7-3 in French Open lead-ups while making a run to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros itself. However, after Roland Garros, the Moscow native has not looked like his usual self.
Since June, Rublev holds a record of 7-6 with five losses to players ranked outside the Top 25. He is just 1-3 in his last four matches. It certainly begs the question of whether or not the Russian ban from the All-England Club has affected the mind of the 24-year-old. Regardless, Rublev will look to keep the past in the past and come out firing at an event where he holds a career 13-6 record, including quarterfinal finishes in 2017 and 2020.
Rublev’s Draw
Andrey Rublev opens up his 2022 US Open campaign against Laslo Djere of Serbia. Djere, who just reached the finals in Winston-Salem, is certainly not the most favorable draw for the #9 seed. With that said, Rublev bested the current world #64 7-5 6-4 earlier this season and should find the same result if he controls his emotions.
A round two matchup against the winner of Soon Wo Kwon and Fernando Verdasco would be next. Rublev is 3-0 against Kwon in 2022.
A meeting with #19 seed Denis Shapovalov would be the first seeded test in the way of Rublev. The Canadian, however, is one of the most out-of-form players in this draw. Cameron Norrie is a potential round-four opponent while Rafael Nadal is drawn to Rublev’s quarter.
While this is not the most favorable draw, it certainly has some holes that could be taken advantage of by a confident Rublev. Getting his 2022 US Open campaign off on the right foot will be huge for the 24-year-old. Having won just one match in the month of August, getting his feet under him early in this tournament will help Rublev grow throughout.
Rublev has always felt comfortable in New York and will look to lean on that comfort more than ever this year. I believe his confidence will grow exponentially as he moves through each round. The #9 seed could be a real threat to this draw if week two rolls around and he is still alive in it.
