Kazakhstani player Alexander Bublik shared his thoughts after losing to Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros with a score of 1/6, 5/7, 0/6.
– Alexander, can you describe just how difficult it is to play against Jannik right now? He`s reached the semifinals without dropping a set. It seems almost unreal.
– Yes, absolutely, `difficult` is an understatement. He plays fast and smart. He finishes almost every match in less than two hours, which shows his physical level is out of this world. Everyone can see it; I wasn`t the only one he bageled.
I wish him luck, he deserves to be where he is. We`re all waiting for the final that everyone wants to see.
– Was there anything in your game or achievements over the past two weeks, or even the entire clay season, that surprised you? Something you didn`t expect from yourself?
– As I`ve said multiple times, I simply changed my approach to playing. I came into the clay season without high expectations, but with ambition nonetheless. I wasn`t planning on getting knocked out in the first round. How many tournaments did I play? I think six.
This is definitely my best clay season. On top of that, it had a good impact on my ranking – I`m back in the Top 50, which I feel is where I belong. And I believe this is just the beginning of trying to climb back up, maybe into the Top 20.
– It seems you`ve played Jannik on all surfaces. Is there a difference in his game on clay, hard courts, or grass?
– Honestly, I don`t remember all the specifics anymore. We played on grass in Halle a couple of years ago, and the first time we met was, I believe, in Dubai or Miami in the quarterfinals in 2021. Since then, he`s improved significantly and achieved great things in his career.
Yes, he deserves to be the World No. 1, Bublik stated during the press conference.
