In 2025, the former king of ATP 500 tournaments faced a shocking three-match losing streak during the China season.

Nowadays, when mentioning Russian male tennis players, many immediately think of Medvedev, while some also recall Khachanov. Indeed, in September 2021, Medvedev defeated Serbian star Djokovic decisively in the US Open final to claim his first Grand Slam title; Khachanov was the first Russian male player to win a Masters 1000 event. Moreover, he was the first Russian man to reach the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slams. However, few may know that there is a Russian male player who reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal earlier than both of these players — that player is Rublev.

Once upon a time, Rublev was not only the first active Russian male player to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal in his career but also achieved a 20-match winning streak at ATP 500 tournaments, earning the nickname "King of ATP 500." However, time has passed. Unfortunately, Rublev remains stuck at the Grand Slam quarterfinal stage and has not advanced further. Furthermore, with the rise of the post-2000 generation players, even reaching a Grand Slam quarterfinal has become a luxury for him. Last week, Rublev surprisingly suffered three consecutive losses during the 2025 China season. So, what exactly happened? Let this article take you through the story.

In mid to late September, Rublev appeared as the top seed at the ATP 250 Hangzhou Open. As the top seed, he received a first-round bye. In the second round, his opponent was French qualifier Royer. In a surprising turn, Royer took the first set 6-4, gaining the upper hand. In the second set, unwilling to give up, Rublev fought back fiercely and pushed the match to a tiebreak. However, Royer played exceptionally well in the tiebreak and secured the victory. Notably, this was Royer's first career win over a top 20 player, while Rublev had to accept an early exit.

At the end of September, Rublev competed at the China Open as the sixth seed, facing Italian player Cobolli in the opening round. The two had previously met in the final of the ATP 500 Hamburg Open in mid-May, where Cobolli limited Rublev to only six games and claimed his first ATP 500 title. This time, Rublev was eager for revenge. However, Cobolli effectively controlled the match, winning the first set in a tiebreak and then closing out the match 6-3 in the second set. With old grudges unresolved and new ones added, Rublev had to swallow the bitter defeat of losing twice to the same opponent.

Last week, Rublev appeared at the Shanghai Masters. As a seeded player, he received a first-round bye. In the second round, his opponent was Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka. Rublev took the first set 6-2, coming close to victory.

However, in the second set, Nishioka launched a strong comeback, handing Rublev a "bagel" (0-6), forcing the match into a deciding set. In the final set, Nishioka reversed the situation with a 6-4 win, resulting in Rublev’s third consecutive loss in the China season. Hopefully, Rublev will perform better in upcoming tournaments. That’s the tennis story for today; more to come tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)