Bublik: "I admired the Big Three, but with Alcaraz and Sinner the relationship is easier"

Alexander Bublik is an atypical tennis player, with a personality uncommon in the world of tennis. In less than a year, the Kazakh player has gone from being on the brink of retiring due to lack of motivation, to changing his mindset and becoming one of the most dangerous players on the circuit, breaking into the top 10 and with the possibility of climbing further.

Everything changed with a conversation with Gaël Monfils in Dubai in 2025, where he confessed that he was unsure if he could keep up with the highly professional pace of other players. He had consistently remained in the top 50 in previous years, but the sport was evolving, and he didn't see himself capable of transforming his lifestyle to progress in tandem with the sport. "Wait for your opportunities and seize them. If you waste them, it's your problem," the Frenchman told him. And he certainly seized them.

The key was not to focus 100% on tennis, but to find the balance between his personal and professional life to love both aspects and to be able to enjoy on the court. Every person is different, and the Kazakh player knows he is not the type who thinks about tennis 24/7. If he did, he probably wouldn't be playing anymore. He went on vacation to Las Vegas with his family, reached the final in Phoenix with renewed energy, and gradually transformed into what he is today.

Alexander Bublik and his surprising love for clay courts

By a twist of fate, this transformation was fully realized on clay courts, a surface he had criticized extensively and that didn't quite suit his style of play. Throughout the year, he won Gstaad, Kitzbuhel, and the Turin Challenger, and reached his first quarterfinals in a Grand Slam at Roland Garros. "I just took the matches much more seriously because I don't see myself outside the top 100 and unable to play the tournaments I like, because I still have the courage to play tennis," he confessed at the time.

The result of this change was ending 2025 as the world number 11, entering as a reserve in the Masters Cup that brings together the best players on the circuit. A player who was at the top 80 at the beginning of the year and started 2026 with the dream of breaking into the top 10 for the first time in his career. In fact, he didn't take long to achieve it, as the title in Hong Kong allowed him to accomplish this feat, thanks to a game and an attitude that can defeat anyone. A devastating serve, a flat baseline game few can match, and a wrist that allows him to change pace at will.

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Bublik and another mindset change upon entering the top 10

Accustomed to much lower positions throughout his career, he had to talk to his team to reorganize. "When I won, I felt very happy because I realized I was among the top 10, but then I felt paralyzed. I thought, 'What am I supposed to do now?' The first thing I said when I saw my team off the court was: 'Guys, congratulations, but what are the goals now? We need to reset a bit and see what can be achieved,'" he recently mentioned on the podcast Nothing Major.

His approach is to go from tournament to tournament trying to display the best possible game, especially in a period where he defends few points and could climb even higher in the rankings. "I won't be defending practically anything until Roland-Garros. Why not try to reach as high as possible? If it doesn't work, I've already achieved the main goal, and then we'll see. But for now, it's about winning as many matches as possible, playing well and solidly," he confessed.

Bublik talks about the differences in his relationships with the 'Big Three' and with Alcaraz and Sinner

The reality is that Bublik doesn't aim to be one of the greatest in history since he doesn't have the necessary commitment or mindset to do so, but he does want to leave his mark on the sport in his own way. "I suppose to play at the level of Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic, you have to be as close to an extraterrestrial as possible. In my opinion, reaching that level is not possible. Because I think it's too demanding for my understanding. But I guess you have to be special. You have to sacrifice your entire life for it. As I said, for me, it's something beyond my understanding. But I suppose that's why they are so great."

At 28 years old, Bublik has always admired the 'Big Three', although he connects more with players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner due to age and motivations. "I admired the 'Big Three', but we are not friends. With Carlos and Jannik, the connection is a bit easier because I was already there when they arrived. They bring a cool touch to the game. Carlos is fantastic, a fun and very noisy guy. Jannik is more ice, at least on the court, because off the court he's quite nice. It's great to face them both and challenge them at times."

Today, Bublik has nearly a million and a half followers on Instagram and has acknowledged that in his own country, they ask him to make movies, something unimaginable for him a few months ago. His life has taken a 180-degree turn, thanks to a commitment that has not prevented him from maintaining his essence, a key factor in seeing him happy on the court and challenging the best players in the world. Now he is one of the targets to beat, so he will have to learn to deal with that pressure and expectations.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Bublik: "Al Big Three le admiraba, pero con Alcaraz y Sinner la relación es más fácil"