Face à un Henrique Rocha sans solutions, Alexander Bublik a signé ce samedi au 3e tour de Roland-Garros une victoire tranquille, sans avoir cédé un jeu de service. Accroché dans le premier set, le Kazakh a réussi le break à 6-5 avant d'exercer son autorité : 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 Bublik affrontera Jack Draper en huitièmes.
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00:00BNP Paribas, partenaire des plus belles histoires de Roland Garros, aux côtés des ramasseurs de balles depuis plus de 50 ans.
00:30How much is it? Schedule change, game change, attitude change, whatever it is.
00:35Well, you know, I was dropped out of the top 50 for the first time probably in my life, since six years was there, and then I had to just drop.
00:43I was losing on a losing streak, and then I have basically an option, but to, you know, take it a bit seriously in a way.
00:51And I went to lower ranked, lower tournaments. I played a few challengers. I played two actually challengers in between the Masters.
00:57And I have no time, you know, to joke around there, and I came there to win, and I did a final and a win in Turin.
01:05And then, you know, like I have to take matches more seriously, and I did. That's as simple as that.
01:12I just took matches way more seriously because I can't see myself, you know, out of the 100 and not being able to play the tournaments I like to play,
01:20because I still have courage to play tennis, and that's why I guess there was just a shift in the mentality,
01:26because I had no options whatsoever, and then, yeah, I just stick in, and I was lucky enough to win a lot of matches.
01:33Do you think you needed that real sort of urgency from the number next to your name changing in order to switch into this gear?
01:39You couldn't have made that mental change when you were still in the top 50?
01:42I don't know. I mean, if you ask me now what I would suggest myself back in Wimbledon 2024,
01:48I would suggest to take some weeks off, you know, because I got to the 17 in the world, which was a big thing for me.
01:55You know, I never thought I could make it to the top 20. I made it to 17.
01:59And then, you know, I'm like, okay, so I have to do this and that.
02:02I have to practice harder. I mean, work on my diet, stop drinking, stop partying, you know,
02:08like have to be a more professional soldier, I would say, you know, as we are in this game.
02:14Like right now, everyone's like robots, and they're just crazy, crazy performance guys.
02:18And then I did it, you know, like it's my fall was not, unfortunately, to be honest,
02:23unfortunately, my fall was not linked with lack of attitude and lack of practicing.
02:27It was the exact opposite. I just burned out.
02:29And because I was waiting for the results to come, so I'm 17, I was looking at, you know,
02:35like points, you know, race thing. And I was like, okay, so if I do this, this and that,
02:40which I'm capable of, if I practice more, if I hit better forehands, it will come.
02:44And it didn't. And then I got to the point like, okay, so why am I sacrificing so much for what?
02:50And then it was the other way around. I'm 80 in the world. And I'm like, okay,
02:54my coach suggested a trip to Vegas in between Indian Wells and Phoenix.
02:57And he's like, hey, man, you know, if you play like this,
03:00we're just going to be out of tennis. So for conversation by Wimbledon,
03:03because that's what my points are. I mean, after Wimbledon, I've made like 50 points.
03:06And then I said, okay, so let's go to Vegas. We enjoy, we changed the racket.
03:11We did many things. And I said, okay, if it goes, it goes. If it not,
03:15thank you very much, tennis. And it worked.
03:17Was it a training trip in Vegas or a Vegas trip in Vegas?
03:19No, Vegas, Vegas, like hangover thing, Vegas.
03:24Yeah, so it was a good three days in Vegas.
03:25I arrived one hour, three hours before the match in Phoenix.
03:28And I just leave it all out. I said, okay, so I'm, I'm useless now.
03:32I can't win a match. So let, let be it, you know, let's see how it goes.
03:38And so it's Jack Draper in the next round.
03:40What, what have you made of the kind of developments in his game over the last
03:43few years? And what would you need to do well to beat him on Monday?
03:47I mean, Jack is, for me, he's, he's insane.
03:52Like I saw, I saw him first day here. I'm like, are you getting ready for UFC or
03:56what? It's like, I mean, last year, the guy's 40 in the world.
03:59This year is top four, top five in the world.
04:01So that's a crazy achievement. And that's a, and he doesn't seem to stop.
04:04So, I mean, what, what I have to do to beat him.
04:08I don't know. I will just go there, enjoy the time,
04:10show what I'm capable of showing.
04:12and we all know what I'm capable of doing on court.
04:15And then we'll see how it goes. This is the approach I have now.
04:17And Jack is a great sportsman, great, great person.
04:21I know him since, I mean,
04:22I played him in the qualis of Queens in 2018 or something.
04:26I mean, he was a little kid.
04:28And then when he beat me in Queens and he told me, I remember that.
04:32He told me, I finally got you.
04:34I said like, let's speak when you're in top 50, you know,
04:36because he was like 300 in the world, striking everything.
04:38And now he's top 10. So now I have to be, you know,
04:40have some courage to play and we'll see how it goes.
04:43You know, it's a, he's amazing.
04:45He's like number two in the race or something.
04:47Three. Like, what is that? I don't understand. That's too good.
04:51Will the win over Alex in the earlier round,
04:58will that give you some confidence?
04:59Obviously you've already beaten one top 10 player here.
05:02I mean, as I said, you know,
05:03I had the point when I was 17 and I was in the race in the top 20 and I was like,
05:08okay, so if I do this and that, I'll be there, you know,
05:11I'll try to get to Nito or I try to get to the top 10,
05:14but it's not working like this.
05:15You know, for me, I just have to stay on my path, enjoy what I do.
05:20If I win, I win. If I lose, I lose.
05:22I mean, I don't want to have any, you know,
05:23like expectation even within myself.
05:25I just have to be there, hit the forehands, hit the backhands.
05:27We'll see how it goes.
05:33Ciao. Well done. Congratulations.
05:35Buonasera.
05:36I'd like to,
05:39do you feel that you are different from most players,
05:44not only the way you play,
05:46but the way how you approach life,
05:48the way you talk even now?
05:52I mean, you know all the other players,
05:54and so maybe you have good friends, bad friends, I don't know.
05:58Do you feel that in a way you're different,
06:03and that sometimes to be different is more complicated
06:06because you have to follow a different path?
06:10You know, they make me feel different.
06:12There was always a question within my team and within, you know,
06:16within the families, like, are we different or they are?
06:20That's how I approach it because I think, in my perspective, I'm very normal.
06:25I'm the guy you can see me having a nice time, you know, down the street in Paris,
06:30you know, in the evening before the match.
06:32Not to go crazy, but, you know, I'm social, you know,
06:35like I can skip the practice if I don't feel,
06:38and I think it's pretty normal.
06:39Like, in my opinion, I'm super normal, and they make me feel different.
06:44And now, you know, like with being in a conversation with the top guys,
06:48you know, I have a couple of top ten wins and one couple of tournaments,
06:52so I'm familiar with those guys.
06:54You know, I'm friends with most of the top ten guys.
06:56They make me feel different.
06:57I'm like, isn't that normal?
06:59If you want to sleep, you just sleep, right?
07:00Like, I mean, we're top athletes.
07:03I mean, someone has made, like, 100 million, 25 titles,
07:09and he still, like, wants to go for more.
07:11Like, for me, I mean, that's not normal, in my opinion.
07:15But they make me feel like this, and nowadays, sport make me feel like this,
07:20you know, that I'm different, which I don't believe so,
07:22because I think I'm just a normal guy that just was playing tennis and made it.
07:26And then I have to get into the conversation, into this, you know,
07:30consequences of me not maybe giving out so much, not giving enough sacrifice.
07:36I don't know.
07:36But do I want that?
07:38I'm not sure.
07:39But I think I'm pretty normal.
07:41But they make me feel like this, to be honest.
07:43And, you know, that is funny.
07:44You know, I have my own perspective on what I want to achieve in this sport,
07:48what I want to prove me, myself, you know, within me,
07:50what I'm capable of, you know, having reached my potential or not.
07:56But in the end, I think I'm very, very normal.
07:58Like, I'm a very normal guy outside of a court.
08:00Which people laugh about, you know, like when I'm speaking to the top guys,
08:03like, how did you do that?
08:04I'm like, what do you mean?
08:05That's normal.
08:06I mean, you wake up, you know, you do this, you know,
08:08you don't feel like practicing.
08:09You go still to practice, but maybe you don't give 100% because you're tired.
08:12I don't know.
08:14But so, yeah, it's a part of me already.
08:17And I accepted that.
08:18And I try to work my way, you know,
08:20in between the amazing athletes, top performing guys, you know,
08:24and try to, you know, make my living of it.
08:27Okay, so you think you are normal outside of the court.
08:33And what about in the court?
08:35Because when you play, everyone likes you.
08:38I mean, you play clearly different because you're playing in Rome.
08:44Everybody's supporting you.
08:46Everybody, when you play in other players, they want you.
08:50You know, it's a very good question because I do live my life by the saying
08:55that I avoid every, you know, every fight.
08:58So I'm not a fighting person, you know.
09:00So, and in order for me to win against the best of the best,
09:04and I prove that I'm capable of doing that,
09:06I have to find ways to outplay them because they will outwork me, outrun me.
09:12Like, I'm not going to be able to play five and a half hours
09:14against Jack tomorrow or when I play after tomorrow.
09:17So I have to work my way through the other parts, you know.
09:20Like, I'm not capable physically of running five hours.
09:23I'm going to probably just die there, you know.
09:26Like, literally, like, I'm not going to be able.
09:27I'm not able to withstand the 45 degrees Australian sun.
09:30Like, I'm not even going to do that.
09:33Like, I'm worrying about my health over tennis.
09:36So, and then on court, obviously, I also find the ways to win matches,
09:41to find a way how can I win those guys with what I have.
09:46And I have a lot, like, in terms of an arsenal of shots, shot selections.
09:51Sometimes I have to go for crazy-as-they-may-seem shots,
09:54but this is the only option I have.
09:56Otherwise, what happened with me when I was 17 is that I tried to play with them.
10:01You know, like, when I spoke to Sasha or to Andre,
10:04they said, oh, you have to hit, like, 15 backends down.
10:06Oh, what 15? I can hit three guys.
10:08But that's 15.
10:09Like, I'm not able to do that.
10:11So, but I'm still, I was still a top 20 player and I'm back to the top 50 now
10:15because I'm forced, if I want to be a player,
10:19if I want to be in the conversation with the guys,
10:22if I want to be in the second weeks of a slam, win the big tournaments,
10:25be a contender for, you know, every tournament I go, I want to be dangerous.
10:29I have to work different way with a different approach, with a different mindset
10:34because if I just go a kick-surf to the back end,
10:38I'm going to receive 100% return.
10:40What am I supposed to do?
10:40I'm not going to be able to stay there and rally four hours in a row,
10:44so I have to be different.
10:45So I'm just more forced to be that, you know, than I actually want to be that.
10:50You mentioned, I think you used the word robots earlier
10:52about describing some of the mindsets on tour,
10:54and I'm wondering when you went down to the challenger level,
10:57did you see fewer robots down there,
10:59or is it more people being normal there from your observation?
11:02And then also on that front, on the challengers,
11:05I'm curious what happened with Mutay in Arizona.
11:09Well, I went to the challengers only that in between the masters,
11:13so they were quite packed as well.
11:15You know, I don't think I faced,
11:16I faced only like two guys outside of the top 100.
11:19But I mean, in that regard, obviously, like the level there is just lower,
11:23simply lower, and me being in the top 50,
11:27for six, seven years in a row,
11:29being top 30 for like maybe two or three years in a row,
11:31I still have, you know, I know how to play tennis.
11:33So it was not as tough, obviously, like to play, I don't know, Alex.
11:39But I don't think that, even there, they're not like normal,
11:43if we say like a normal guy who would enjoy a pint of a beer,
11:45you know, in the evening,
11:46they still try to get the best from themselves.
11:50Like even there, even when you see the guys
11:52that were never going to make it,
11:53like I can tell them that they're never going to make it.
11:55It's impossible, like, because they don't have a skill set.
11:57But they still, nine o'clock in the morning,
12:00they're in the gym.
12:00My physio is super professional, so he always in the gym.
12:02He tells me, ah, you know, like this guy came in eight o'clock in the morning.
12:05Ah, this guy came in.
12:05I said, why?
12:06But what do you mean?
12:06Like, why?
12:07Ah, because he wants to be a best, you know,
12:09the best version of himself.
12:10You know, this craziness that social media,
12:14in a way, put in us,
12:14that we have to be the best version of ourselves.
12:16No, we just have to be ourselves.
12:18It's very simple, in my opinion.
12:19And I'm going to tell you just what happened in that match.
