Bublik rolls the dice and wins at Roland Garros
PARIS: Alexander Bublik approached his Roland Garros clash with world number five Jack Draper on Monday believing it was a singular opportunity — one where he had no choice but to take maximum risks or bow out quietly.
The flamboyant Kazakh, long known for his unconventional approach to tennis and life on tour, edged a high-pressure contest that he later described as one of the most satisfying of his career.
"You know, sometimes I feel like there are only a certain number of matches in your life," said the former world number 17, now ranked 62, in a press conference after his 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory.
"For example, the Halle title that I won, the Roland Garros in doubles that I didn't, and today's match. Sometimes you have only one chance. If I'd got broken there [in the second set], it's 7-5, 6-2 maximum for me. I wouldn't even try to fight."
Instead, the 27-year-old held his nerve, playing high-risk tennis and hitting 37 drop shots on a surface he has long struggled to embrace.
This season, however, Bublik has won more matches on clay than in his previous three years combined.
Does he love clay now? Not quite — it was more a matter of necessity.
"Maybe this is the first year I haven't complained about playing on clay, because I didn't have a lot of options," he admitted. "I was dropping in the rankings."
Having long been candid about his distaste for the grind of tour life and the glorification of suffering often celebrated in elite sport, Bublik reiterated his belief in balance over obsession.
"I prioritise tennis and life equally," he said. "Will I put my life and health on the line for a 'might'? Maybe? No."
He dismissed comparisons to the sport's enduring workhorses, such as Rafael Nadal, famed for embracing struggle and playing through pain.
"There's no way around hard work — don't get me wrong, I work hard. But on my terms," Bublik said.
"I won't push through a knee injury to win a match. I have a family, I'm a father, and I have father duties."
Each to their own, though, Bublik added.
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