Alexander Bublik has praised his recent maturity as progressed to the third round of the Australian Open.
The Kazakh is into the third round of the Australian Open after a 7-5 6-4 7-5 victory over Marton Fucsovics.
After the match Bublik admitted it was tricky conditions but is happy to be into the last 32 in Australia, “It feels great. It was tricky conditions,” the Kazakh said in his press conference.
“As you can see, it started to rain. So it was like a little stormy today. I wasn’t expecting that. You know, when we were warming up, it was totally normal weather. And when we came on the court, it was a bit windy. It was more from our end, you know, to land the shots you have to land, you know, in that condition.
“For me, I’m really happy with the way I stayed mentally and kept fighting, even being down the break in the third set.”
It has been quite the turnaround in attitude and form from Bublik having reached the Roland Garros quarter-finals before winning a flurry of titles on multiple surfaces.
Speaking on his change in form Bublik said that he enjoys winning and has said that a more mature approach has been the main reason for success, “Definitely, I enjoy more winning than in the previous years,” Bublik explained.
“For me it’s really, like, that’s how I started to play, like probably from around Madrid, Rome, Turin last year. And I continue with that. You know when the things are working and think you have to change something.
“So for me it is more about keeping the consistency, keeping the rhythm, doing the things that are working now. As long as it’s working, I’ll try to continue. If something needs to be changed or adjusted, I hope to be on time, you know, not to be delayed like I was with probably 2025, a bit of the losing of the rhythm at the beginning. So maybe if some adjustments need to be done I hope to be on point with that.
“Well, you know, with years to come I aged a bit, I matured a bit. I think, as I said in the past, I’m treating it more like a work. Like, you know, I came here to do things. I came here to win matches. I came here to do everything that is in my power, not against the rules, or against the codex of a gentleman, you know, whatever you can call it, to make to get the win.
“So I’m trying to fight. I’m trying to get the balls back. This is the mentality I catched, as I said, since last year.”
In the past Bublik has been known for having a poor attitude and breaking rackets, playing more for entertainment as opposed to winning matches.
However, that has now changed as he now finds himself becoming a top ten player nearer the top of the game.
Despite this Bublik has said he has no regrets about his past and believes everything happens for a reason, “In my opinion, to be honest, everyone was telling their kids to learn from other’s mistakes. I think we actually learn from our own mistakes,” Bublik explained.
“You can’t really push someone, in my opinion, unless you’re going to break the guy. Maybe the results will come, but you may break a person. Everyone was telling me that. It’s not like I am playing first year or second year. I’ve been on tour for, what, like, eight straight seasons in the top 50, or seven straight seasons, and besides that I was already top 100 in 2017. So it has been a long way. And I was listening to that and I was getting a lot of that, but it doesn’t clicked in.
“You know, it’s the same I used to like to eat junk food a lot. And I used to drink a lot of Coca-Cola, or whatever, but now I don’t because that’s my choice. The same with that mentality. So that’s my choice. That’s my choice that I feel that it’s nice, you know, to stay in the rhythm, it’s nice to sleep well, it’s nice to be with your family instead of going out. So that’s more of a natural way of things. For me, if you say I wasted years, if you look from the perspective I am now, it may seem like this. But I was happy. I was doing what I felt to do. I knew the consequence.
“So looking back, I would not change a thing. I don’t know what’s going to happen to Alex Bublik in five years’ time. Will I be locked in like now, or maybe even more, or maybe even hungrier? Or I will say, Guys, I don’t want to come to some tournaments because I want to be home. So for me it is more of a natural way and learning from your mistakes. I guess that’s important to a keep yourself full, you know, not break parts or give pieces to someone because someone told you that this is a good way you should do it, you know, squeeze your teeth, you go work, and then at the end it’s nice if you succeed. What if you don’t?
“We’ve seen so many career endings now from the guys my age, which is sad, which I don’t believe. The guy was someone who was playing one year ago against me and now is a coach. I’m like, Okay. And for me that’s an indication of someone who make finally a decision they like. Maybe they don’t want to play any more.
“I respect that a lot when people make their own decisions.”
Bublik will aim to keep up this attitude when he takes on Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Friday.
