Alexander Bublik is quietly making his way through the Australian Open field, reaching the 3rd Rd. following a 7-5 6-4 7-5 win over Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics.
Bublik has been in a rich vein of form over the last 12 months, and is currently sitting at a career high of No.10 in the world. For a man with so much talent, it might seem surprising he’s only just reached this milestone.
In 2025 his win loss was 37-22, with 4 titles to his name. Previously, Bublik had won 4 titles in his career, so clearly something has clicked.
“Well, with years to come I aged a bit, I matured a bit. I think, as I said in the past, I’m treating it more like work. I came here to do things. I came here to win matches. I came here to do everything that is in my power, not against the rules, or against the code of a gentleman, whatever you can call it, to get the win.
So I’m trying to fight. I’m trying to get the balls back. This is the mentality I caught since last year. And I try to continue, because I have no joy of coming here, taking the third set, losing in five, yelling, breaking racquets. I don’t feel need to do that.”
Winning Brings Enjoyment
With this new mentality, Bublik has obviously found himself winning a lot more. He has already won the Hong Kong title in week one of the 2026 season. All this winning has certainly made tennis more fun for Bublik.
“I enjoy more winning than in the previous years. For me, that’s how I started to play, probably from around Madrid, Rome, Turin last year. And I continue with that.
For me it is more about keeping the consistency, keeping the rhythm, doing the things that are working now. As long as it’s working, I’ll try to continue.”
For Bublik, making the top ten was a goal this year. While he started the season ranked 11, in other seasons, there were no guarantees he would rise that one extra place in the rankings. But this is the new Bublik. Winning the Hong Kong 250 in week one of 2026, has already seen Bublik reach that goal. So what next?
For Bublik, his life goals are more important than any tennis goals.
“Well, I guess, just be a nice guy to my family. I think that’s important. I mean, keep your feet on the ground, work hard, play tennis. I guess that’s all I can ask. And that’s what I should deliver I think as a human being.
I mean, I try to be a good dad, try to be a good husband, a good friend.”
All in Good Time
For years, Bublik was touted as an enigma. Someone with all the talent in the world, but someone who was seemingly wasting it. But Bublik didn’t really see it that way, and felt it was important for him to figure it out on his own.
Everyone goes on their own tennis journey, and in Bublik’s case, it may have taken him until he was 28 years old. But he’s totally fine with that.
“I think you can’t really push someone. I think we actually learn from our own mistakes.
You can’t really push someone, in my opinion, unless you’re going to break the guy. Maybe the results will come, but you may break a person.
I used to like to eat junk food a lot. And I used to drink a lot of Coca-Cola, or whatever, but now I don’t because that’s my choice.
The same with that mentality. That’s my choice and I feel that it’s nice, you know, to stay in the rhythm, it’s nice to sleep well, it’s nice to be with your family instead of going out. So that’s more of a natural way of things.
For me, if you say I wasted years, if you look from the perspective I am now, it may seem like this. But I was happy. I was doing what I felt to do. I knew the consequence.
I was really pragmatic in the way that I knew that [with] what I’m doing, I’m not capable of things, I’m not capable of being stable, top 20, top 30 player. I was always like 32, 35, 27, throughout the years. But I knew it.
Looking back, I would not change a thing. I don’t know what’s going to happen to Alex Bublik in five years time. Will I be locked in like now, or maybe even hungrier? Or I will say, Guys, I don’t want to come to some tournaments because I want to be home.
So for me it is more of a natural way and learning from your mistakes.”
Bublik’s next opponent is Tomas Martin Etcheverry, who he is yet to play against, but will start a strong favourite. Should he get through that, he will likely face Alex de Minaur in a tantalizing 4th Rd. clash. Bublik has beaten De Minaur on the last 2 occasions.
While there’s some water to flow under the bridge, if he gets past the Aussie, a first meeting with Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, would be box office tennis.
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