"Alexander Bublik, the resident eccentric of professional men's tennis, has the lyrics to two different Eminem songs tattooed on his arm. Doubles specialists, he's said, aren't "real athletes," though Bublik himself reached the doubles final of the 2021 French Open. The 28-year-old Kazakh has quoted Kung Fu Panda to cast doubt on Jannik Sinner's doping status, and called the tennis exhibited by greats like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal "boring.""
"Once, while losing to an injured and past-his-prime Dominic Thiem, Bublik loudly chastised himself for "giving careers back to disabled people." He hates tennis with "all his heart," he said in 2020, and "detests every day I have to play it." Just 11 months ago, in fact, he nearly quit the sport entirely when his ranking nosedived to 82nd in the world - his lowest in six years."
"And though he's best known for trickery, showmanship, and self-sabotage - random and unexpected deployments of an underarm serve; striking the ball between his legs or with his racquet handle; destroying the racquet altogether, once smashing three in the course of a single changeover - he has emerged as a genuine contender, that rare tennis player to maximize his potential at the relatively advanced age of 28."
Alexander Bublik combines flamboyant eccentricity with elite tennis ability, tattooed with Eminem lyrics and provocative public statements. He has criticized doubles specialists despite reaching the 2021 French Open doubles final and has publicly disparaged top players and incidents. Bublik once nearly quit after falling to 82nd in the world, took a short break in Las Vegas, and then recommitted to the sport. He recently rose to a career-high world No.10 and won a warm-up title in Hong Kong over Lorenzo Musetti. His game blends soft touch and huge power, along with unpredictable trickery and showmanship, making him a genuine contender at 28.
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