PARIS — In a historic moment for Kazakhstan, Alexander Bublik made headlines by becoming the first man from his country to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament, stunning No. 5 Jack Draper with a scoreline of 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 on Monday at the French Open.
After approximately 2 1/2 hours of thrilling play, the 27-year-old Bublik collapsed onto the court, adorning himself with the iconic red clay, marking the most significant victory of his career.
“In life, opportunities are rare, and I knew this was mine—I couldn’t let it slip away,” he expressed to the audience. “Standing here today is truly the pinnacle of my life. No doubt about it.”
He added with a grin, “Honestly, I feel like I just won the whole tournament!”
Bublik showcased his remarkable talent, racking up an impressive total of 68 winners—31 more than the left-handed Draper.
Ranked No. 62, Bublik is now the lowest-ranked man to secure two victories at Roland-Garros over top 10 opponents since No. 100 Andrei Medvedev in 1999. Just last week, he mounted a stunning comeback from a two-set deficit to defeat No. 9 Alex de Minaur in the second round.
“I have a particular skill set for this sport,” Bublik remarked. “Today, it all clicked — absolutely one of the best days and matches of my life.”
Draper, feeling the weight of disappointment, expressed, “I’m incredibly let down by the result.”
Following his semifinal appearance at last year’s U.S. Open, Draper has enjoyed a breakthrough season, capturing his first Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells, California, in March, and breaking into the top 10 of the ATP rankings.
“I don’t think I played poorly; he was exceptional,” Draper reflected on Bublik’s performance. “He didn’t let me play my game today.”
