By Caleigh Martin
Have you ever felt the satisfaction of seeing an underdog player that you rooted for in Tennis Online Betting, upsetting a superstar in the field of tennis? That’s probably how the fans of this 23-year-old rising legend felt after witnessing him obliterate the name we always see in the headlines of tennis pages, the living legend Rafael Nadal, at the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters.
As we dig deeper into one of the most shocking tennis games we had in history, let’s buckle up and delight in beholding a great match between a Rising Superstar and a Living Legend.
The Rising Star
Andrey Rublev, a notable name that we will most see much more often in the sports headlines around the globe. Born on the 20th of October 1997, this Russian dynamo started his junior career at the young age of 13 years old. He is known and admired for playing and winning against superstars in the tennis universe, such as Fernando Verdasco, Grigor Dimitrov, and David Goffin.
This “Rising Superstar” of ours is recognized for participating in diverse youth Olympic games and being one of the youngest players to reach the ATP Top 50 ranks. He is currently ranked 7 in the world and has won eight ATP singles titles so far.
In addition, Rublev is famous for documenting and sharing his background as a professional tennis player using the medium Instagram, where he has over 50,000 followers.
As of 2021, Andrey Rublev’s career prize money amounts to over $8 million.
The Living Legend
Rafael Nadal, a familiar name we see on big screens, a darling of the world media, an all time great champion, adored and revered by all passionate, serious tennis players and enthusiasts. He was born on the 3rd of June, 1986, began playing tennis at the age of 3. When he was 8, Nadal won an under-12 regional tennis championship, and gave the incentives to his Uncle Toni, his coach.
The “Living Legend” we have in this generation has already earned the prestigious title nickname “King of the Clay,” a defining legacy achievement based on his extraordinary skills and fighting spirit, including his topspin-heavy shots and tenacity that Nadal’s opponents have a difficult sometimes impossible time countering.
Nadal has won 20 slam titles, 86 singles titles overall a record 13 French Open singles, and one among the only two men to win all four majors and the Olympic gold medal. He is ranked No. 3 in the world by the Association of Tennis Professionals, he’s been ranked No. 1 within the ATP rankings for 209 weeks, and has finished as the year-end No. 1 five times.
As of 2021, Rafael Nadal’s net worth is a whopping $200 Million.
Fierce Match between Superstars
Andrey Rublev showed off his tennis skills by upsetting his childhood tennis hero Rafael Nadal 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-final on Saturday, April 17th. Rublev had lost two previous matches to Nadal in the ATP, including a blowout 61 62 62 in the 2017 US Open quarterfinal.
But things can change quickly in pro sports and Rublev started the match daring to be great, with much passion and desire. His confidence and momentum and self belief grew. The near invincible on clay Rafael Nadal was bewildered early, he was strangely not the typical formidable force we expected, as the powerhouse southpaw struggled with his serving accuracy and pace. The mighty Spaniard was dissatisfied with his performance – he made five double faults in the 2-6 first set alone.
The second set of the match was much more competitive; it lasted for over an hour and highlighted out-of-this-world plays from both individuals – although there were instances that Rublev could grasp the triumph but he was defied by the old master. Rublev had multiple chances, but Nadal will never surrender a match without offering ferocious resistance. After a lot of tense and fierce baseline rallies, Nadal found his old magic and won the four final games to lead Rublev into a decider set.
Rublev had a taste of victory and managed to elevate his level of play. He gained the upper hand again from the baseline and Nadal seemed unusually fatigued. Rublev strategized his plans for the tactical and rhythm of the third set and Nadal was unable to find the right answers.
Rublev marched to the lead in the third set. When he earned a breakpoint and took a 4-1, double-break advantage, he didn’t stumble or waste the opportunity to conquer Nadal – Rublev was ready to win the most important victory of his career and he finished the job on his first match point, like a future Grand Slam champion would.
Camaraderie in Sports
”When you face a great player like him and you don’t play well, you should lose,” a disappointed Nadal said about his first career loss to Rublev.
Now Rublev has declared himself a potent contender for the 2021 Roland Garros title. And the King of Clay has another young, ambitious challenger to be very wary of.
Caleigh Martin is a freelance writer. This is her first feature for www.tennis-prose.com
Andrey Rublev Biofile interview
Andrey Rublev · Monte Carlo Rolex Masters · Rafael Nadal · Roland Garros
