Why has tennis become such a complicated sport?

Just landed from the Laver Cup in London, this afternoon Alexander Bublik has his first commitment at the ATP 500 in Beijing. And not just any match: Jakub Mensik is on the other side of the net. But now, it is worth listening to the most recent words from the Kazakh.

His speech during the Media Day of the Chinese tournament will help many understand the direction tennis is heading after the Big3 chapter. A sport that has continued to professionalize and, inevitably, has made it increasingly difficult to reach the highest positions in the rankings. This new Bublik, who has also had to update himself, calmly expresses his views on this revolution and also reflects on his first experience defending Team World with Andre Agassi.

Bublik reflects on his first time at the Laver Cup

“The experience at the Laver Cup was incredible; it felt very different from what I had seen on television. When you're watching, you think there are no points at stake, and it's all an exhibition, but everything changes when you're part of a team, with all those emotions for victory. From the first day, I felt that excitement, with the energy of Andre Agassi and the rest of the guys. We were constantly talking about how we were going to win this or that. It's a very real competition; I don't mind saying it, even though many fans might accuse me of changing my opinion. Of course, it has the feel of an exhibition, but it's a very competitive exhibition. It's crazy how competitive we all are there; you can see it every time one of the guys won. As an experience, it's stellar; it's a great event, and I think they are doing a great job in terms of organization and media.”

From rivals to teammates

“Getting together with my usual rivals was great; I had a good relationship in the past with Learner or Taylor; we have known each other for a long time. I became very good friends with Fran, whom I had never talked to before, but he is a great guy. Also with Alex, actually with everyone, including Nakashima, to whom I said I had never heard his voice since he arrived on the tour, so it was great to have that chance to get to know him. A very positive experience that I would be happy to repeat.”

Why has tennis become such a complicated sport?

“Today's tennis is incomparable to the past, starting with the guys in the top 10. Back then, the top 10 was much tougher, with people like Roger, Andy, Novak, Rafa, Stan, Berdych, Cilic… all of them were stronger than those in the current top 10, aside from Sinner and Alcaraz, of course. However, the level outside the top 10 is significantly higher. When I arrived on the circuit in 2019 and played my first final, it was rare to see players outside the best with physiotherapists or coaches; everyone traveled alone and hardly had physical conditioning, clearly showing their weaknesses, which made it very easy to play against them.

Now, any player within the top 200 has taken on a new dimension; it's really difficult to play tennis because everyone hits the ball very well, everyone takes care of their physical condition, everyone has great coaches. This professionalism implemented in recent years has caused the average level to be much higher now; the average has increased significantly, even in the Challenger circuit, where there are tremendous competitors. It is a completely different sport today; it is really much harder to reach the top 100 now; it is a greater achievement than when I did it at 19. Now, if you reach the top 100 at 19, it's like you're a superstar.”

Bublik reveals what he did to change his mindset on the court

“I had to restructure myself in some way; I had to take tennis more seriously, the points I play. For me, it was always easy to lose points; I never tried to save certain balls or secure a game or play smart. I would go out on the court just to hit the ball and see what happens. It worked for me because my rivals didn't have that average level, but now if you do this, you will lose in the first round 99% of the time, you will lose to anyone. If you don't go out with the right mindset, you will lose. Before, you could go to a third set with a player who didn't have physical conditioning, who you knew would be exhausted, and you would beat him 6-1. Now this doesn’t happen even in five-set matches, so I had to completely remodel myself. I changed my mentality, my approach to matches, regardless of whether I played against Mensik, Sinner, or the 90th in the world. You have to be on your game all the time because, otherwise, you will be punished.”

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ¿Por qué el tenis se ha vuelto un deporte tan complicado?