‘Players give up when facing Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz – me too,’ admits ATP star
Alexander Bublik famously beat Jannik Sinner in Halle in 2025, but he admits it was down to “a whole lot of luck” as he had and other players don’t really have a chance when they face the Italian or Carlos Alcaraz.
Sinner and Alcaraz have dominated men’s tennis the past few years and Bublik is one of many players who have tasted defeat against them as the Kazakh star lost three of his four most recent encounters against the Italian.
One of those defeats came at the French Open last year when he suffered a heavy 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 quarter-final defeat and joked afterwards on social media “I almost got him guys”.
But he got his revenge a few weeks later on grass as he upset the Italian 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the round of 16 at the Halle Open and declared: “I got him.”
Sinner, though, won their next two matches at the US Open and in Vienna to take a 6-2 lead in their head-to-head rivalry while Alcaraz won his only match against Bublik in Monte Carlo this year.
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Bublik, though, admits he and the rest of the chasing pack don’t really believe they have what it takes to beat the dominating duo.
Asked about his Halle win over Sinner during an interview with Germany’s Tennis Magazin, he replied: “With a whole lot of luck, and I mean that very seriously. At Grand Slams, where Sinner and Alcaraz feel best and are perfectly prepared, you don’t really have a chance. I feel like the other players have given up – me too, by the way.
“That changes your goals. I recently spoke to my coach: a Grand Slam win is almost out of reach when both are fit. So my goal is: quarter-finals, maybe semi-finals – then I’m going home happy.”
Bublik, who has won nine ATP Tour singles titles, is yet to make it past the quarter-final of a Grand Slam with his best performance that run at Roland Garros last year.
He has peaked at No 10 in the ATP Rankings and while some might be frustrated by not winning majors, the 29-year-old has a different outlook.
“You have to realise: You are not Novak Djokovic. You’re not going to win Slams like Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer. You have to learn to accept defeats and deal with them without affecting your performance.”
He added: “Don’t get me wrong: I love this sport! It’s a blatant feeling to hit a great forehand in a 20,000-people stadium. But: There are players who have quit after a Grand Slam victory, because this title apparently did not make them so happy.
“It is not healthy if you meet your environment in a bad mood because of your obsession. It is just as important to be a good husband, father and friend. Better to chase a 15-time semi-final than this one victory.”
