An inside look at Anna Kalinskaya and Andrey Rublev's friendship

Anna Kalinskaya came up short in her quest to go from qualifier to champion at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Saturday. Kalinskaya has a stoic demeanor on court and is relatively unknown to the tennis world so it is comforting to catch her lighter side on video with her Russian teammates.

Two recent videos have shown a smiling and laughing Kalinskaya, the most recent being after Saturday's loss with Daria Kasatkina and Andrey Rublev. Kastakina and Rublev are among the most likable players on their respective tours. The other video is of Rublev and Kalinskaya laughing on the practice courts.

Rublev is often seen with close friend Daniil Medvedev so it is fun for fans to see him in this light. Both seem shy but funny. As a disclaimer: we are not implying that there is anything beyond friendship between the two.

Fans like this friendship

Rublev is playing the Eisenhower Cup with Elena Rybakina on March 5, but it would have been interesting to see him partner with Kalinskaya. Kalinskaya, in the recent video, is recovering from her busy week of tennis with what she says is a mimosa at the airport. There is banter about what Rublev is drinking, presumably warm milk, and Rublev escapes Kasatkina's video camera only to be chased by the girls.

Rublev is World No. 5 and the second most successful Russian player behind Medvedev. He is part of the group of men's players in their mid-20s who have never won a Grand Slam, such as Taylor Fritz, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Frances Tiafoe who are sandwiched between Novak Djokovic and the next generation of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and the new teenage sensations Joao Fonseca and Alex Michelsen.

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