Andrey Rublev and Felix Auger-Aliassime entered the Mutua Madrid Open each seeking a spark to reignite their 2024 seasons. Making it to the final in the Spanish capital has more than done the job.
On Sunday, the pair will clash in the title match at the ATP Masters 1000 event, where both could be considered surprise finalists, although perhaps for different reasons (Watch live from 12:30 p.m EDT/6:30 p.m. CEST).
The No. 8 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Rublev arrived in Madrid off the back of four straight tour-level defeats. Yet he has roared back to his big-hitting best at the Caja Magica, where he has dropped just one set across five matches so far and is now one win away from his second Masters 1000 crown.
“It's normal to have up-and-downs," said Rublev on Friday, when he was asked if his sudden upturn in form had surprised him. "The good thing when you have too many downs in one moment, is that you should go up. You cannot always lose in the first round… The next week you have more chances to win a couple of matches. In the end, I guess, this was the week.”
Aside from his barren run prior to Madrid, Rublev has enjoyed a typically consistent season. He won 14 of his first 17 tour-level matches of the year and lifted a trophy in Hong Kong in January. Should he win in Sunday's final, Rublev will rise to fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as he chases a fifth consecutive appearance at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.
In contrast, Auger-Aliassime arrived in Spain with a modest 11-10 record, but the Canadian nonetheless feels he has turned a corner after a 2023 season blighted by injury and a loss of form.
“Last year I had my tough moments on the tennis court, being injured,” said the 23-year-old, who beat Casper Ruud in the fourth round in Madrid for his first Top 10 win of the year. “Now, start of the year, I played some good matches, but I felt like I was practising better and better, playing well, and it was good. I got the best win of my season so far with Casper.”
Majestic duo in the Caja Magica 💫🏟@MutuaMadridOpen | #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/VakT49zAq2
— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 3, 2024
Auger-Aliassime’s progress through the draw this fortnight has been unique. In the third round and semi-finals, respectively, Jakub Mensik and Jiri Lehecka were forced to retire while playing the Canadian due to injury. In between, he advanced by walkover through the quarter-finals after Jannik Sinner withdrew with a hip injury, but his path to the final will not impact his ambitions against Rublev.
“I still think I showed throughout the tournament, throughout the weeks, that I'm practising better, playing better and better,” said Auger-Aliassime. “There is this tournament and then obviously, as the season goes on, hopefully more good results come my way.”
Both Rublev and Auger-Aliassime possess big serves and huge forehands. With the high altitude of Madrid contributing to conditions that are relatively fast for a clay-court event, they will each will hope to find their range with their two biggest weapons early in the title match.
When it comes to experience in a Masters 1000 final, however, Rublev holds a clear advantage over the World No. 35 Auger-Aliassime. It will be a fifth championship match appearance at that level for the 26-year-old, who triumphed at the 2023 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, while it is a first for his opponent.
“Obviously it's a great opportunity,” said Auger-Aliassime, who is chasing his 200th tour-level win on Sunday. “It's a first final of a Masters for me, a new position to be in. These don't happen often, like every week. We play a lot of matches, we train a lot, but when you get a chance like this, obviously you're very motivated. I'm going to prepare for this match very seriously, but also not change my routine and try to prepare well for the match.”
Possessing one of the ATP Tour’s most intense on-court personalities, Rublev has partly attributed his success in Madrid to his ability to keep his emotions in check in difficult situations. That was at its most clearest during his victory against Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.
"I think the key was I was completely calm the whole match,” reflected Rublev after his three-set win against the defending champion. “I did not say one word, even if I was losing.”
The seventh-seeded Rublev can also look to his past record against Auger-Aliassime for a mental boost. He leads the Canadian 4-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series after saving three match points for victory in their most recent meeting earlier this season in Rotterdam. All but one of the pair’s five previous meetings have gone to three sets.
Final incoming @MutuaMadridOpen 🎾@felixtennis 🆚 @AndreyRublev97
— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) May 5, 2024
We took a look back at their epic in Rotterdam this year to see what the keys 🔑 to the match might look like. First up Rublev...
🔙 Did a great job of pushing Auger Aliassime back in the court. Forcing him to… pic.twitter.com/sgPwaJ9spz
“I guess when we play it's always tight matches, three-setters,” said Auger-Aliassime. “Let's see. Obviously, he's been at the top of our game for a few years. He deserves everything that is happening to him with how consistent he's been, how good he's been over the years.
“But Sunday is one match. Let's see what happens. Not looking in the past, not looking forward. Just focusing on playing well, playing my game. If I do that, like times before, I will give myself a chance to win and hopefully it goes my way.”
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