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Good Morning. Grab a cup of piping hot bean juice, put on your vision aids, and shadow swing that ol’ reliable forehand when no ones looking. Now let’s dive in.
— Daniel Park
ATP Profile
The Bublik Renaissance
Probably after winning the point on an underarm serve (Photo: Regina Cortina)
Sinner and Alcaraz have been dominating 2025, snatching up all four majors and leaving everyone else fighting for scraps. But if you’re not named Jannik or Carlos? You’d probably kill to have Alexander Bublik’s season.
It hasn’t been smooth sailing all year. In March, the 28 year old was in pretty terrible form, and had dropped to No. 82 in the world—his lowest ranking since 2019—and was openly questioning whether he could keep up with the “tennis robots” ruling the tour. For a guy famous for underarm serves and casual indifference, nobody would’ve been shocked if he had hung ‘em up.
Instead, he’s having the season of his life, having racked up:
A Challenger title
2 250 titles on clay
A 500 title on grass
His first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Roland Garros
The Round of 16 at the US Open
Another 250 final in China (happening today)
These results have netted him over $2.2 million in prize money this year, have brought him back into the top 20, and put him in rare company: the only players to make finals on all three surfaces in 2025 are Alcaraz, Sinner, Zverev, and… Bublik.
Not bad.
Vegas, Baby
Bottle service please, and make sure the milk is warm
So, what changed? Well, it started with a trip to Vegas.
“Honestly, I just burned out,” Bublik admitted. “I thought if I practiced more, hit better forehands, results would come. They didn’t. And I got to the point where I thought, ‘Why am I sacrificing so much? For what?’”
That’s when his coach suggested a reset.
Asked if it was a training trip or a, you know, a Vegas trip, Bublik grinned: “No, Vegas, Vegas, like a hangover thing Vegas, yeah.”
Three days later he rolled into the Challenger in Phoenix, shirley temple on his shirt, and made the final. Something clicked. Since then? It’s been nothing but upward momentum.
The Gear Shift
Bublik hitting the high note on Valerie by Amy Winehouse (Photo: usopen.org)
The other change? A new stick.
Bublik’s been spotted wielding a blacked-out frame, widely believed to be a version of the Babolat Aero Pro—the Nadal/Rune/Alcaraz frame of choice. It’s a thicker-beamed racquet that makes it easier to absorb and redirect power, while the open string pattern helps generate heavy topspin. Normally, that comes at the cost of touch and finesse—but Bublik has the hands of god. Drop shots, lobs, feathery volleys? Still all there. Only now, he’s got free power to go with it.
Case in point: in his US Open match against Tommy Paul, he hit a ridiculous 38 drop shots. Because it’s Bublik.
A Lesson in Stepping Away
Bublik’s revival is also a reminder that sometimes the best way to fix your game is to put the racquet down. Amanda Anisimova took a long break, came back refreshed, and made two slam finals this year. Even Michael Jordan needed a timeout to chase curveballs before he reclaimed NBA dominance.
Bublik didn’t need a year—he just needed three nights at the Wynn.
Why It Matters
Is Bublik going to win a Slam? Probably not. But he doesn’t need to. The sport needs players like him—mercurial, unpredictable, joyous (on his good days). In a year dominated by the inevitable “Sincaraz final, here we go again” storyline, Bublik has been a delightful curveball.
He’s made himself relevant again, proven he can mix it with the game’s best, and reminded us that tennis doesn’t have to be all grind and grit. Sometimes it can be audacious drop shots, hangover trips to Vegas, and a smile that says, “Yeah, I might go for an underarm serve on match point. Why not?”
Vamos Bubi!
Trivia
Which player is the all-time leader in matches won at Laver Cup?
A. Alexander Zverev
B. Jack Sock
C. Roger Federer
D. Carlos Alcaraz
Find out at the bottom!
Memes
When you lose the third ball during a match and are stuck with two for the next hour (Photo: usopen.org)
The Inner Game
“Mental strength is not a gift. It’s something that comes with work. I might appear locked in but you know, trust me — there’s a storm inside, and the biggest battle is always within. We all have our doubts and fears, I feel it every single match. The difference between those who are able to be [the] biggest champions and the ones that are struggling to get to the highest level is the ability to not stay in those emotions for too long.”
Photo of the Week
Team World
What I imagine when people talk about the movie “The Big Short” (Photo: IG/@drewaltizerphotography)
The real question: would you rather have Opelka’s serve or Agassi’s groundies?
Around the Net
Some of the best tennis content I found on the internet this week…
🎙️ Bryan Shelton on why winning isn’t everything in juniors, and the three types of tournaments he recommends kids play to accelerate their development. Wish I had done this
🤔 Taylor Fritz’ take on what it truly takes to be successful
📹️ Captain Andre Agassi was absolutely fired up this weekend in San Francisco. This edit goes crazy
Thanks for reading!
Daniel 🤠
Answer
B. Jack Sock
A red Nike sock (Photo: Getty Images for Laver Cup)
The Big White Sock was a Laver Cup staple for many years, racking up 9 wins on the doubles court, and a singles win to his name.