Andrey Rublev calls Roger Federer the "GOAT of volleys," also reveals Daniil Medvedev "sucks" at playing football

In a recent interview with We Are Tennis, World No. 7 Andrey Rublev hailed Roger Federer as the "GOAT of volleys." He also revealed that although his good friend and compatriot Daniil Medvedev follows football, he "sucks" when it comes to showcasing his skills.

When asked about the GOAT of volleys, Rublev replied, "Rogelio." The interviewer wasn't sure what the Russian meant and said "who?" Rublev had to explain that he was referring to Roger Federer and called him "Maestro Rogelio."

Describing Federer's volleying skills, Rublev used his hand to mimick how the 20-time Grand Slam champion plays the stroke.

"Rogelio [Roger] Federer. Yeah, like Meastro Rogelio. It looks nice. You imagine one guy with the Polo here [pointing towards his collar]. Classic going.." said Rublev.

In the same interview, Rublev also disclosed that Dominic Thiem, Rafael Nadal, and Daniil Medvedev are the three "GOATs of football addicts."

But while he believes that Thiem and especially Nadal have "really great skills in football," Medvedev is "horrible" when it comes to playing the sport.

"Dominic is a huge fan of football. He has some skills. Rafa has some really great skills in football. I know that Daniil is really following football and he really knows many players. But he sucks in football. Completely. So bad. Horrible. Like me," the Russian star joked.

Andrey Rublev has beaten Roger Federer and Daniil Medvedev in Cincinnati

Roger Federer after losing to Andrey Rublev at the Cincinnati Masters in 2019

Andrey Rublev and Roger Federer have squared off against each other just once at the 2019 Cincinnati Masters. Interestingly, the Russian, who was a qualifier in Cincinnati, defeated the 20-time Grand Slam champion in straight sets.

Rublev has not fared well against his compatriot Medvedev. His only victory against the World No. 2 also came in Cincinnati in 2021, when he fought back from a set down to battle past Medvedev in the semifinals. Medvedev has won all four of their other encounters, including a straight-sets win in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Australian Open.

Andrey Rublev will take on Felix Auger-Aliassime in the finals of the Open 13 in Marseille on Sunday and will be eyeing his ninth title on the ATP tour.