In a significant milestone, Alexander Bublik etched his name in the history books as the first Kazakhstani man to secure a place in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament. This achievement came after Bublik’s victory over No. 5 seed Jack Draper, with a scoreline of 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 during the French Open on Monday.
The 27-year-old celebrated his momentous win by falling to the red clay court, savoring the triumph that unfolded over an intense 2 1/2-hour match. Reflecting on this pinnacle in his career, Bublik expressed to the expansive crowd, “Sometimes in life, there is only one chance, and I felt that today was mine. I couldn’t let it slip by. Standing here is the best moment of my life. Period.” In a lighter vein, he quipped, “I’m standing here like I won the tournament.”
Throughout the match, Bublik demonstrated his prowess by delivering a remarkable 68 winners, outshining Draper with a margin of 31. Ranked No. 62, Bublik is now the lowest-ranked male player since No. 100 Andrei Medvedev in 1999 to defeat two top-10 opponents at Roland-Garros. Earlier in the tournament, Bublik overcame a significant challenge by rallying from two sets down in the second round to defeat No. 9 Alex de Minaur.
Reflecting on his momentous victory, Bublik remarked, “I have a certain skill set to play tennis, and it worked marvelously today — 100% one of the best days of my life and one of the best matches I have ever played.”
Conversely, Draper expressed his disappointment with the outcome. Following a successful season marked by his first major semifinal appearance at last year’s U.S. Open and a Masters 1000 title win at Indian Wells in March, along with a top-10 ranking, Draper acknowledged Bublik’s commanding performance. “Didn’t play a bad match. I thought he played incredibly well,” Draper commented about his opponent. “He didn’t allow me to play my tennis, I don’t think.”