Latest news with #AlexanderBublik
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Bublik credits Las Vegas bender after securing French Open last 16 berth
Alexander Bublik credited a trip to Las Vegas with helping him overcome burn-out as the Kazakh advanced to the fourth round of the French Open on Saturday. Russian-born Bublik eased past Portugal's Henrique Rocha 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 to reach the final 16 in Paris for the first time on his seventh attempt, and next meets British fifth seed Jack Draper. Bublik reached a career-high of 17 in the rankings last year but had dropped as low as 82 by March 2025, blaming burn-out for his slump down the rankings. "Like right now everybody is like robots, and they're just crazy, crazy performance guys," the 27-year-old told journalists. "Unfortunately, to be honest, 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. "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." Bublik said a trip to Las Vegas was suggested after his coach said something drastic needed to be done. "He's like, 'Man, if you play like this, we're just going to be out of tennis, of the conversation by Wimbledon'. "I said, 'Okay, let's go to Vegas'. We enjoy. We change the racquet. We did many things. I said, 'Okay, if it goes, it goes. If not, thank you very much, tennis'. "And it worked!" Asked if it was a training trip to Vegas, world number 62, Bublik replied: "No, Vegas, Vegas, like a Hangover-thing Vegas, yeah. "So it was a good three days in Vegas." Bublik said he eventually got his confidence back playing a few Challenger events, winning in Turin last March. In Paris, the Kazakh rallied from two sets down in the second round to dispatch ninth-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday. The Monaco-based player next plays world number five Draper who has won their two previous meetings in Adelaide last year and Queens in 2021. "Jack for me is insane. I mean, last year the guy is 40 in the world," said Bublik. "This year he is top 4, top 5 in the world. That's a crazy achievement. He doesn't seem to stop, so I mean, what do I have to do to beat him? I don't know. "I will just go there, enjoy the time, show what I'm capable of showing, and we all know what I'm capable of doing on court and then we see how it goes. This is the approach I have now." ea/nf
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Bublik says Vegas trip helped him compete with the robots
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 29, 2025 Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik in action during his second round match against Australia's Alex de Minaur REUTERS/Lisi Niesner PARIS - Kazakhstan's trickster Alexander Bublik always brings a novel approach to his matches and off court too he defies convention, describing how a three-day trip to Las Vegas to let off steam helped turn around his year. The 27-year-old reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for only the second time in his career on Saturday as he beat Portugal's Henrique Rocha 7-5 6-1 6-2, setting up a clash with Briton's fifth seed Jack Draper. Bublik reached a high of 17 in the rankings last year but dropped to 82 in March after a first-round exit at Indian Wells left him questioning whether he had what it took to compete with what he calls the tennis 'robots'. The answer? A trip to The Strip. "To be honest, my fall was not linked with lack of attitude and lack of practising. It was the exact opposite. I just burned out because I was waiting for the results to come," he told reporters. "I was like, if I practise 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? "My coach suggests a trip to Vegas in between Indian Wells and Phoenix. He's like, 'man, if you play like this, we're going to be out of tennis, out of the conversation by Wimbledon." Asked if the trip to the notorious Nevada playground was a training trip to Vegas or a Vegas trip to Vegas, Bublik said: "No, Vegas, Vegas, like a hangover thing Vegas, yeah. "It was a good three days. I arrived three hours before the match in Phoenix. I had just let it all out. I said, I'm useless now, I can't win a match, so let it be, let's see how it goes." What happened was that Bublik reached the final in the second-tier Challenger event and something clicked. During the claycourt season he made the fourth round in Madrid and won a Challenger in Turin. Bublik, who describes himself as a normal guy, said he has accepted that he cannot compete with the world's very best on their terms, so has to bring something different to the table, be it underarm serves, through-the-leg returns or mind-boggling drop shots -- all played with a smile on his face. "I'm not a fighting person. In order for me to win against the best of the best, and I prove that I'm capable of doing that, I have to find ways to outplay them because they will outwork me, outrun me," he said. "I also find the ways to win matches, to find a way how can I beat those guys with what I have, and I have a lot, in terms of an arsenal of shots, shot selections. "Sometimes I have to go for crazy shots, but this is the only option I have. Otherwise, what happened with me when I was 17 is that I tried to play (their game)." In an age of sports science, endless gym work and nutrition plans, Bublik bucks the trend and do not expect him to enter a war of attrition with Draper. "Jack for me is insane. I saw him first day here. I'm like, are you getting ready for UFC?" Bublik said. "Last year the guy is 40 in the world, this year he is top four, that's a crazy achievement. How can I beat him? I don't know. I will just go there, enjoy the time, show what I'm capable of showing." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Tennis-Bublik says Vegas trip helped him compete with the robots
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 29, 2025 Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik reacts during his second round match against Australia's Alex de Minaur REUTERS/Lisi Niesner PARIS (Reuters) -Kazakhstan's trickster Alexander Bublik always brings a novel approach to his matches and off court too he defies convention, describing how a three-day trip to Las Vegas to let off steam helped turn around his year. The 27-year-old reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for only the second time in his career on Saturday as he beat Portugal's Henrique Rocha 7-5 6-1 6-2, setting up a clash with Briton's fifth seed Jack Draper. Bublik reached a high of 17 in the rankings last year but dropped to 82 in March after a first-round exit at Indian Wells left him questioning whether he had what it took to compete with what he calls the tennis 'robots'. The answer? A trip to The Strip. "To be honest, my fall was not linked with lack of attitude and lack of practising. It was the exact opposite. I just burned out because I was waiting for the results to come," he told reporters. "I was like, if I practise 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? "My coach suggests a trip to Vegas in between Indian Wells and Phoenix. He's like, 'man, if you play like this, we're going to be out of tennis, out of the conversation by Wimbledon." Asked if the trip to the notorious Nevada playground was a training trip to Vegas or a Vegas trip to Vegas, Bublik said: "No, Vegas, Vegas, like a hangover thing Vegas, yeah. "It was a good three days. I arrived three hours before the match in Phoenix. I had just let it all out. I said, I'm useless now, I can't win a match, so let it be, let's see how it goes." What happened was that Bublik reached the final in the second-tier Challenger event and something clicked. During the claycourt season he made the fourth round in Madrid and won a Challenger in Turin. Bublik, who describes himself as a normal guy, said he has accepted that he cannot compete with the world's very best on their terms, so has to bring something different to the table, be it underarm serves, through-the-leg returns or mind-boggling drop shots -- all played with a smile on his face. "I'm not a fighting person. In order for me to win against the best of the best, and I prove that I'm capable of doing that, I have to find ways to outplay them because they will outwork me, outrun me," he said. "I also find the ways to win matches, to find a way how can I beat those guys with what I have, and I have a lot, in terms of an arsenal of shots, shot selections. "Sometimes I have to go for crazy shots, but this is the only option I have. Otherwise, what happened with me when I was 17 is that I tried to play (their game)." In an age of sports science, endless gym work and nutrition plans, Bublik bucks the trend and do not expect him to enter a war of attrition with Draper. "Jack for me is insane. I saw him first day here. I'm like, are you getting ready for UFC?" Bublik said. "Last year the guy is 40 in the world, this year he is top four, that's a crazy achievement. How can I beat him? I don't know. I will just go there, enjoy the time, show what I'm capable of showing." (Reporting by Martyn HermanEditing by Toby Davis)
Reuters
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Bublik says Vegas trip helped him compete with the robots
PARIS, May 31 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's trickster Alexander Bublik always brings a novel approach to his matches and off court too he defies convention, describing how a three-day trip to Las Vegas to let off steam helped turn around his year. The 27-year-old reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for only the second time in his career on Saturday as he beat Portugal's Henrique Rocha 7-5 6-1 6-2, setting up a clash with Briton's fifth seed Jack Draper. Bublik reached a high of 17 in the rankings last year but dropped to 82 in March after a first-round exit at Indian Wells left him questioning whether he had what it took to compete with what he calls the tennis 'robots'. The answer? A trip to The Strip. "To be honest, my fall was not linked with lack of attitude and lack of practising. It was the exact opposite. I just burned out because I was waiting for the results to come," he told reporters. "I was like, if I practise 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? "My coach suggests a trip to Vegas in between Indian Wells and Phoenix. He's like, 'man, if you play like this, we're going to be out of tennis, out of the conversation by Wimbledon." Asked if the trip to the notorious Nevada playground was a training trip to Vegas or a Vegas trip to Vegas, Bublik said: "No, Vegas, Vegas, like a hangover thing Vegas, yeah. "It was a good three days. I arrived three hours before the match in Phoenix. I had just let it all out. I said, I'm useless now, I can't win a match, so let it be, let's see how it goes." What happened was that Bublik reached the final in the second-tier Challenger event and something clicked. During the claycourt season he made the fourth round in Madrid and won a Challenger in Turin. Bublik, who describes himself as a normal guy, said he has accepted that he cannot compete with the world's very best on their terms, so has to bring something different to the table, be it underarm serves, through-the-leg returns or mind-boggling drop shots -- all played with a smile on his face. "I'm not a fighting person. In order for me to win against the best of the best, and I prove that I'm capable of doing that, I have to find ways to outplay them because they will outwork me, outrun me," he said. "I also find the ways to win matches, to find a way how can I beat those guys with what I have, and I have a lot, in terms of an arsenal of shots, shot selections. "Sometimes I have to go for crazy shots, but this is the only option I have. Otherwise, what happened with me when I was 17 is that I tried to play (their game)." In an age of sports science, endless gym work and nutrition plans, Bublik bucks the trend and do not expect him to enter a war of attrition with Draper. "Jack for me is insane. I saw him first day here. I'm like, are you getting ready for UFC?" Bublik said. "Last year the guy is 40 in the world, this year he is top four, that's a crazy achievement. How can I beat him? I don't know. I will just go there, enjoy the time, show what I'm capable of showing."
CNA
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
Bublik says Vegas trip helped him compete with the robots
PARIS :Kazakhstan's trickster Alexander Bublik always brings a novel approach to his matches and off court too he defies convention, describing how a three-day trip to Las Vegas to let off steam helped turn around his year. The 27-year-old reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for only the second time in his career on Saturday as he beat Portugal's Henrique Rocha 7-5 6-1 6-2, setting up a clash with Briton's fifth seed Jack Draper. Bublik reached a high of 17 in the rankings last year but dropped to 82 in March after a first-round exit at Indian Wells left him questioning whether he had what it took to compete with what he calls the tennis 'robots'. The answer? A trip to The Strip. "To be honest, my fall was not linked with lack of attitude and lack of practising. It was the exact opposite. I just burned out because I was waiting for the results to come," he told reporters. "I was like, if I practise 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? "My coach suggests a trip to Vegas in between Indian Wells and Phoenix. He's like, 'man, if you play like this, we're going to be out of tennis, out of the conversation by Wimbledon." Asked if the trip to the notorious Nevada playground was a training trip to Vegas or a Vegas trip to Vegas, Bublik said: "No, Vegas, Vegas, like a hangover thing Vegas, yeah. "It was a good three days. I arrived three hours before the match in Phoenix. I had just let it all out. I said, I'm useless now, I can't win a match, so let it be, let's see how it goes." What happened was that Bublik reached the final in the second-tier Challenger event and something clicked. During the claycourt season he made the fourth round in Madrid and won a Challenger in Turin. Bublik, who describes himself as a normal guy, said he has accepted that he cannot compete with the world's very best on their terms, so has to bring something different to the table, be it underarm serves, through-the-leg returns or mind-boggling drop shots - all played with a smile on his face. "I'm not a fighting person. In order for me to win against the best of the best, and I prove that I'm capable of doing that, I have to find ways to outplay them because they will outwork me, outrun me," he said. "I also find the ways to win matches, to find a way how can I beat those guys with what I have, and I have a lot, in terms of an arsenal of shots, shot selections. "Sometimes I have to go for crazy shots, but this is the only option I have. Otherwise, what happened with me when I was 17 is that I tried to play (their game)." In an age of sports science, endless gym work and nutrition plans, Bublik bucks the trend and do not expect him to enter a war of attrition with Draper. "Jack for me is insane. I saw him first day here. I'm like, are you getting ready for UFC?" Bublik said. "Last year the guy is 40 in the world, this year he is top four, that's a crazy achievement. How can I beat him? I don't know. I will just go there, enjoy the time, show what I'm capable of showing."
