The secrets of the new Bublik's success: "This year I haven't complained about playing on clay courts"

Carlos Navarro | 3 Jun 2025 | 01.00

Alexander Bublik. Source: Getty.

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Alexander Bublik has emerged as one of the great stories of a Roland Garros 2025 that is reaching its final stages. In this home stretch, the Kazakh (the first player representing this country to reach the quarterfinals of a men's Slam, by the way) has invited himself to a dance where the best rackets of the circuit come into play, all situated within the top 20: with a very peculiar philosophy and approach to tennis, he has claimed his spot through unforgettable victories.

The latest took place against a Jack Draper dumbfounded by the array of impossible shots Alexander executed: missile-like second serves and forehands, powerful volleys, and, as the jewel in the crown, a series of drop shots that stole both the physical and soul from Draper. The reward couldn't be greater, leaving us with a more reflective Bublik in an unforgettable press conference, with candid reflections on a way of living tennis completely different from the norm, a sort of vindication of a path to success that not everyone chooses to take.

- A thorough analysis of his victory over Draper and the emotions he experiences on a tennis court in a match like this

"I don't know what the key was, honestly. I left everything out there. I have certain skills to play tennis, and all of them worked wonderfully. It is, 100%, one of the best days of my life and one of the best matches I have ever played. That simple. There are a number of matches I have played in my life, for example, the Halle title I won, the Roland Garros in doubles that I didn't win, and today's match, where I felt that I had only one chance. If he had broken me (Draper, in the last game), 7-5 and 6-2, maximum for me. I wouldn't have even tried to fight.

So I told myself: you have this opportunity, give your best. If it doesn't work, I'm out. There are certain moments when I truly believe that you only have one chance. In that sense, I had nothing else to do. I had to win. I gave my all and it worked, but as I said, if it hadn't worked, the match would have ended. That's how I approach matches like this, and that's why today I played at my best and took many risks because that was my only chance".

- He has won more matches on clay this year than in the last three combined: what do you attribute this to?

"Perhaps this is the first year I haven't complained about playing on clay since I didn't have many options, I was losing many ranking positions. I guess that's the key, yes".

- A peculiar player, different from the rest, who is not willing to sacrifice everything for tennis: does a victory like this vindicate him or give him more hunger to achieve more moments like this?

"The good thing about what you're asking is that you mention what 'I can' achieve. Am I going to risk my life and health for a 'can'? Perhaps? No. I'm going to follow my path. I'm going to keep working because guys, I train. Don't worry, I don't train half an hour a day, I do the exact minimum and maximum to continue being the player I am, to be able to be here, and I will continue on this path because I believe I prioritize tennis and life in the same way.

For me, this is a 50/50 relationship. It's not that tennis takes up 90% and I'm okay with that. If I can't walk when I'm 40, that's fine...no, that's not fine for me. What's important for me is finding the balance. It's doing what I need to do to compete at the elite level of this sport, something I've achieved in the last six or seven years. Will I risk my health for that? No".

- A reflection on the applause received for "working hard" and his way of doing things

"You can't evade hard work. Don't get me wrong. I work very hard, but in my own way, so to speak. I do what I can with my body, but I'm not going to push a knee injury to the limit to have a chance to win a match. Hard work is always there; you can't get here without it. As I've said, however, I prioritize my health and lifestyle because I have a family and I'm a father, and I have to do my fatherly duties. The balance is 50/50. Sometimes it doesn't work, other times, like when I was in the top 20, it worked wonderfully.

But yes, that doesn't mean that hard work isn't vital. You need to put in hours and hours, and for certain players, like me, to serve as I do, perhaps you need 100,000 hours, while others only need 20. That's the main difference, what skills can shine in your arsenal to, let's say, be top-50. Top-50 is a good benchmark. How can you get there? What do you have to do to achieve it? That's what matters".

- Facing matches without "burning out," as he tries to do, and whether victories like this show people an alternative path to success

"Even I 'burn out' mentally. The most important thing, as I said, is to find your own balance. If you're willing to risk your body and win a Grand Slam, if you can do it, do it. It's your health. These are decisions we make every day, and those decisions lead you somewhere. Each person must decide for themselves. Each athlete must decide if the sacrifices they make to have a chance to, for instance, if we talk about the younger guys, be like us...is it worth it? Then go for it. But don't complain if it's not possible because there are many things beyond hard work to be top-50 or top-100. That's my mindset, but for each person, it's different".

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los secretos del éxito del nuevo Bublik: "Este año no me he quejado por jugar en tierra batida"

Alexander Bublik