Thoughts on Alexander Bublik's Best Moment in Life
June 3, 2025
World No. 62 Alexander Bublik defeated 5th seed Jack Draper to reach his first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal, marking the biggest win of his career on clay.
This is the best result of his career, marking his second victory over a top-10 player at this French Open, following his win against de Minaur.
A one-minute standing ovation from the crowd after the victory.
Bublik also mentioned in his speech that it was the best moment of his life.
The best minute of his 27 years of life.
His face after getting emotional, saying 'give me a break,' was also wonderful.
Before this victory, in his post-match interview after the third round, one could read his detached objectivity toward himself and his pride in life.
Bublik
I fell out of the top 50 for the first time, and I had no choice but to take it a bit seriously. I couldn't afford to mess around; I had to approach the matches seriously. I couldn't have a situation where I fell below 100 and couldn't play in the tournaments I like. I had to do that, and fortunately, I won a lot.
But now, I would tell myself after last year's Wimbledon to take a few weeks off. I reached 17th in the world, and I felt like I had to do this and that, practice more, manage my diet, stop drinking and partying, and become a professional... a warrior. Everyone is like a robot now, like a game. I did that.
In other words, my ranking dropped, unfortunately, not because of a lack of practice or a lack of serious attitude. It was completely the opposite. I burned out.
I thought if I did this or that, if I practiced more, if my forehand got better, the results would follow. They didn't.
So at some point, I thought, 'What am I making these sacrifices for?' I was 80th, and my coach suggested going to Vegas between Indian Wells and Phoenix. He said, 'At this rate, you won't be able to talk about tennis by Wimbledon.' So I went to Vegas, had fun, changed my racket, and tried various things.
That worked well. It wasn't a training camp in Vegas; I went to do things you do in Vegas. It was a fun three days. I arrived in Phoenix three hours before the match. I thought, 'I'm useless now, I can't win a match. So, let it be.'
Just because I beat Alex (de Minaur) doesn't change anything. I reached 17th and did all those things, thinking I might make it to the Nitto (Finals) or the top 10, but it didn't happen. So I'm on my own path, just enjoying what I do. Whether I win or lose. I don't want to have any expectations for myself.
I'm just there, hitting forehands and backhands.
I'm a normal human being. People around me just make me think I might be different from normal. In my opinion, I'm a super normal human being. If I don't feel like it, I skip practice; that's perfectly normal to me.
But when I talk to top players, they make me feel like I'm the strange one. I'm friends with most of the top 10 players, but... there are people who earn billions and win 25 titles, yet still want more and more. To me, that's not normal. But that's how the sport is now, and it makes me feel like I'm the one who isn't normal.
I personally think I'm extremely normal. I play tennis and succeed, and then people talk about how my results are insufficient or that I'm not making enough sacrifices. But do I want to do that? Who knows, anyway, I'm perfectly normal. I have my own ideas about what I want to achieve in this sport.
What do I want to prove to myself, what can I do, can I push my potential to the limit? Well, anyway, I'm extremely normal. Everyone laughs, though. Anyway, that's part of me, and I accept it and do things my way. I make a living doing this among these wonderful athletes.
Me on the court? That's a good question. I avoid every battle. To beat the top of the top, I've proven I can do it, but I have to find a way to get an advantage over them. Because they are more diligent than me and run better than me. For example, I can't play a five-and-a-half-hour match against Jack tomorrow.
Physically, I can't run for five hours; I'd die. So I have to polish my own way in other aspects. I can't stand under the 45-degree Australian sun. I don't intend to, either; I'm more worried about my health than tennis.
So on the court, I find ways to win matches, how to beat those kinds of opponents with what I have. Actually, I have many weapons, in terms of shot selection. It might look crazy sometimes, but for me, it's the only option.
What happened to me when I was 17th... when I talked to them, to Sasha (Zverev) and Andrey (Rublev), they started saying, 'You have to hit 15 backhands.' No, I can do three, but 15... I can't do that. Still, I was in the top 20, and now I'm back in the top 50.
If I want to be a player, if I want to talk to those kinds of players and stay in the second week of a Grand Slam, if I want to be a contender and a dangerous player in any tournament, I need a different method, approach, and mindset. I have no choice. If I hit a kick serve to the opponent's backhand side, they'll just hit a perfect return.
What should I do? I can't rally there for four hours. So I have to do something different. I have to. But actually, I want to be that way myself.
Are Challenger players like robots? If we're talking about the level, well, the Challenger level is lower.
I've been in the top 50 and top 30 for years, so I know how tennis should be played. Challengers aren't as tough as playing Alex (de Minaur). But even they aren't normal... if you say enjoying a pint of beer in the evening is normal. Even they are trying to bring out their best.
Even players who you could say technically can't (go higher) are in the gym at 8 a.m. and are very professional. Why? Because they want to be the best version of themselves. That's crazy. In a sense, social media is fueling that, saying you should be the best version of yourself. No, we should be ourselves. I think it's a very simple story.
He is saying, 'This is the kind of person I am. That is the most authentic and important thing to me.'
He is by no means denying Shohei Ohtani's way of life.
Sasha himself is not a normal person either, as he has the talent to be the 17th best in the world.
Sasha reflects that he has held a racket since he was two and had no choice but to become a professional tennis player, and he treats it as a job to earn money.
He hasn't won a Grand Slam.
He might be thinking, 'Why is everyone making a fuss about winning four matches in a tournament where you finally win after winning seven?'
He might be thinking, 'The next one is world number one Sinner anyway.'
But I think the reason his biggest career achievement is being praised so much is that people empathize with his way of life and respect is gathering.
If you set your goals and ways of working hard within yourself and live by them, the day will come when you grab one of the few chances, no matter how old you are, and be moved by yourself.
I'll try a little harder at tennis, too.
Days of picking up wins in non-pressure matches in the consolation bracket after failing to get results in league matches and not advancing to the final tournament.
Tennis was starting to feel more painful than fun.
I will have my own goals and challenge the world of competition without giving up.
Believing that I can still dance.
Thank you, Sasha.