By the time Alexander Bublik raised his arms in triumph on Court Suzanne Lenglen, it wasn’t just Jack Draper he had left stunned. It was everyone watching.
With drop shots that defied physics, second serves that hit 200+ kph, and a style of play that could only be described as “chaotic genius,” the mercurial Kazakhstani dismantled one of tennis’s fastest-rising stars to storm into the French Open quarter-finals. And he did it with a smirk, a wink, and a playbook that looked more like street magic than Grand Slam strategy.
This was no ordinary match. This was a Bublik special.
🎩 A Drop Shot Masterclass
If there were a stat for jaw-drops per minute, Bublik would’ve smashed it. Facing Britain’s Jack Draper—a player riding a wave of form, seeded top-5 in the world, and fresh off a Masters title at Indian Wells—Bublik produced what can only be described as tennis sorcery.
There were forehands with zip, backhands with bite, but it was the drop shots that broke Draper’s spirit. Over and over again, Bublik disguised them behind bullet forehands, sliding them over the net with devastating precision. Even Draper, known for his movement, was left sprinting in vain, reaching the ball only to watch it bounce twice before his racquet could reach it.
“He’s playing tennis from another planet,” one commentator exclaimed. They weren’t wrong.
🎢 The Bublik Rollercoaster
If you’ve followed Bublik for any length of time, you know this isn’t new.
The 27-year-old Kazakh—originally born in Russia—has made a career out of being unpredictable. His serve can go from double-fault to ace in a heartbeat. His tactics can shift from sublime to ridiculous—and back again. But on this Monday in Paris, everything clicked.
After dropping the first set 5-7, Bublik turned the match on its head. He won the next three sets 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in a display that mixed aggression, elegance, and eccentricity in equal parts.
“He looks like an AI-generated tennis player,” one journalist joked. With floppy hair, a compression sock, and an Armani headband, he might also be the most stylish man on clay this year.
🔄 A Redemption Arc in Real Time
Let’s not forget: this wasn’t supposed to be Bublik’s year.
After reaching a career-high of world No. 17 in 2024, the Kazakh tumbled down the rankings. By March 2025, he had slipped to 82nd in the world and lost his joy for the game. So, he did what any out-of-form pro might do… he flew to Las Vegas.
Yes, that Vegas.
“It wasn’t a training trip,” Bublik later admitted. “It was a hangover trip. I said to myself, ‘I’m useless now, I can’t win a match, so let it be.’”
It worked. Three hours after landing in Phoenix from his Vegas trip, Bublik won a Challenger title. Then he lifted a clay-court trophy in Turin. And now, he’s taken out a Grand Slam quarter-finalist with a performance bordering on legendary.
🤯 “It’s an 11-out-of-10 Performance”
British commentators, rarely ones to overstate, struggled to describe what they were witnessing.
“Bublik has ideas of his own,” one noted as he closed out another service game with a casual ace followed by a forehand drop volley that seemed almost impolite in its finesse.
“He’s everywhere right now,” another added. “This is an 11-out-of-10 performance.”
It wasn’t just style over substance either. The stats backed it up:
- 17 winners to just 5 unforced errors in the third set
- Second serves consistently clocking above 200 kph
- Dozens of points ended with perfectly disguised drop shots
Even Draper—who had been near-flawless all tournament—was forced to applaud some of the brilliance on display.
😵💫 Draper, Stunned and Searching
To his credit, Jack Draper fought valiantly. The 23-year-old Brit, tipped by many as a future Grand Slam champion, started strong. He took the first set and looked composed, composed, focused.
But as the match wore on and the drop shots kept landing, Draper’s confidence eroded. His frustrations were visible—glaring at his box, yelling in disbelief, even shaking his head at the audacity of some of Bublik’s shots.
As TNT Sports aptly described, “It’s demoralising if you’re Draper.”
He wasn’t doing much wrong—nearly 70% of his first serves landed in, his forehand held up well—but Bublik was simply in the zone.
🧠 Mind Games and Magic
What sets Bublik apart from most players isn’t just his shot selection. It’s his mindset.
On paper, someone like Draper—a rising star, built like a tank, with a serve and forehand that work on any surface—should cruise past Bublik. Even Bublik himself wasn’t convinced ahead of the match.
“Jack, for me, is insane,” he said. “How can I beat him? I don’t know. I will just go out there and show what I can do.”
That carefree, unpredictable energy? It’s part of what makes him so dangerous.
