Hong Kong Open champion Andrey Rublev praises local support as he returns to defend title
Russian will be competing against the likes of Hong Kong No 1 Coleman Wong Chak-lam and Chinese mainland rising star Shang Juncheng
World No 8 Andrey Rublev has hailed the “overwhelming support” he received at last year’s Hong Kong Open after confirming he will return to defend his title later this year.
The Russian will be competing against the likes of Hong Kong No 1 Coleman Wong Chak-lam and Chinese mainland rising star Shang Juncheng.
Rublev, who beat Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori in the 2024 final, said the tournament was perfect preparation for the Australian Open, the first grand slam of the year, which kicks off immediately after.
“[The] Hong Kong Open last year was a great start to the season for me as I came through a very tough field to win the championship,” Rublev said. “Hong Kong is the perfect place for me to start my season as I enjoyed overwhelming support from the fans and the conditions helped me to acclimatise and prepare well for the Australian summer.
“I hope to defend my title in Hong Kong and start the year strong with all the support from the fans.”
Wong, who won junior doubles titles at the 2021 US Open and 2022 Australian Open, said his aim was to break into the top 100 next year.
