Alexander Bublik credits Las Vegas bender after booking French Open last 16 berth

Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik is through to the fourth round of the French Open after dispatching Portuguese qualifier Henrique Rocha 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 in 1 hour and 41 minutes on court Simonne-Mathieu.

After the match, Bublik was asked whether the world ranking next to his name is a motivating factor for his performances.

“I got to 17 in the world, which was a big thing for me. You know, I never thought I could make it to the top 20. I made it to 17.

“Then, you know, I’m, like, okay, I have to do this and that, I have to practice harder. I mean, work on my diet, stop drinking, stop partying.

“Have to be a more professional soldier, I would say, as we are in a game. Like right now everybody is like robots, and they’re just crazy, crazy performance guys.

“Then I did it. Unfortunately, to be honest, unfortunately my fall was not linked with lack of attitude and lack of practicing. It was the exact opposite. I just burned out because I was waiting for the results to come.

“So, I’m 17. I was looking at, you know, like points, a race thing. So, I was like, okay, if I do this, this, and that, which I’m capable of, if I practice more, if I hit better forehands, it will come.

“It didn’t, and then I got to the point, like, okay, why am I sacrificing so much? For what? Then it was the other way around. I am 80 in the world.

“I’m, like, okay, my coach suggests a trip to Vegas in between Indian Wells and Phoenix. He’s like, man, if you play like this, we’re just going to be out of tennis, of the conversation by Wimbledon because that’s where my points are – I mean, after Wimbledon I made, like, 50 points.

“I said, okay, let’s go to Vegas. We enjoy. We change the racquet. We did many things.”

Improve his tennis

When asked whether his trip to Las Vegas was to help improve his tennis or for the sole purpose of letting off steam, Alexander Bublik was very frank in his reply.

“No, Vegas, Vegas, like a hangover thing Vegas, yeah. So, it was a good three days in Vegas.”

One can only imagine what Bublik got up to in those three days in Las Vegas!

Next up for Bublik in the fourth round is Great Britain’s Jack Draper.

Bublik was gushing in his praise for Draper.

“Jack for me is insane. I saw him first day here. I’m like, are you getting ready for UFC?”

“I mean, last year the guy is 40 in the world. This year he is top 4, top 5 in the world. That’s a crazy achievement.

“Jack is a great sportsman, great person. I know him since – I mean, I played him in the quallies of Queen’s in 2018 or something.”

“He was a little kid. Then when he beat me in Queen’s, and he told me – I didn’t remember that. He told me, ‘I finally got you’. I said, ‘Let’s speak when you are in top 50’, because he was like 300 in the world striking everything, and now he’s top 10.

“So, now I have to have some courage to play, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Alexander Bublik stated that he feels like his way of being a professional sportsman is normal and everyone else is maybe unusual in their approach.

“I’m the guy you can see me having a nice time down the street in Paris in the evening before the match. Not to go crazy, but I’m social.

“I can skip the practice if I don’t feel, and I think it’s pretty normal. In my opinion I’m super normal, and they make me feel different.

“Now, you know, with being in the conversation with the top guys, you know, I have a couple of top-10 wins and won a couple of tournaments, so I’m familiar with those guys.

“I’m friends with most of the top-10 guys. They make me feel different.”

“But in the end, I think I’m very, very normal. I’m a very normal guy outside of the court, which people laugh about.

“When I’m speaking to the top guys, like, how did you do that? What do you mean? That’s normal. You wake up. You do this.”

‘Not normal’

Alexander Bublik described not always training hard. Especially if he doesn’t feel the urge.

“You don’t feel like practicing. You go still to practice, but maybe you don’t give 100% because you’re tired.”

Bublik was, however, able to admit that his style of play on court is not normal.

“I have to work different way, with different approach, with a different mindset because if I just go a kick serve to the backhand, I’m going to receive 100% return.

“What am I supposed to do? I’m not going to be able to stay there and rally for hours and hours, so I have to be different. I’m just more forced to be that than I actually want to be that.”

Bublik mentioned that in his view social media creates a dilemma for players who are striving for outcomes that are not possible.

“When you see the guys that were never going to make it, I can tell them that they’re never going to make it.

“This craziness that social media in a way put in us that we have to be the best version of ourselves.

“No, we just have to be ourselves. It’s very simple in my opinion.”

Bublik is living his life authentically and that he trusts his way of doing things even if they are different to those of most players on tour.

Bublik’s style on and off the court is certainly unique, and his matches are always entertaining.

His fourth round match against Draper on Monday is guaranteed to be anything but normal.  

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