“Well, it depends on him. I can show him the road, but he needs to walk (it),” Safin said of Rublev. “It’s not going to happen magically, you need to work your way. So I think it’s up to him.
“Let’s see how it goes for the next couple of weeks, but I think he’s willing to do it.”
Safin’s official ATP coaching debut will come at next week’s Rolex Monte Carlo Masters, where Rublev won the 2023 title and reached the 2021 final. The pair are set to work together until at least Roland Garros.
In the meantime, Rublev moved into the semifinals in Nimes, where he will face Casper Ruud on Saturday.
Rewatch Marat Safin’s coaching debut, and keep up with all the action from 2025 UTS Nimes on Tennis Channel.
