Alexander Bublik Reacts After Becoming 1st Player to Beat Jannik Sinner Since Carlos Alcaraz Last August

Alexander Bublik clinched his second victory over Jannik Sinner in their sixth meeting and will next face Tomas Machac.

Alexander Bublik Reacts After Becoming 1st Player to Beat Jannik Sinner Since Carlos Alcaraz Last August

Alexander Bublik, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jose Morgado, Eurosport)

Jannik Sinner has never faced a defeat since last year’s Canadian Open from a player not named Carlos Alcaraz but that streak ended on June 19. Alexander Bublik ended his campaign at the Halle Open with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 scoreline in the second round, securing his second victory over the Italian in their six meetings.

Since last year, Sinner lost to just four opponents: five times to Alcaraz, in the Monte Carlo Masters semifinal to eventual winner Stefanos Tsitsipas, to Daniil Medvedev in the Wimbledon quarterfinal, and to Andrey Rublev in the Canadian Open quarterfinal.

After ending the 2024 season as the most successful player on the ATP tour, Sinner carried his momentum to this season, defending his Australian Open title. Following his three-month doping ban, the three-time Grand Slam champion faced back-to-back defeats from Alcaraz, in the Italian Open and the French Open finals.

Bublik had made things a bit difficult for Sinner when they met in the quarterfinals of this year’s French Open but he couldn’t do much, becoming one of the players to receive a bagel or a breadstick (or both) from Sinner in the event. During the on-court interview in Halle, Bublik was told that he became the first player other than the five-time Grand Slam champion to beat the World No.1 since last August.

I honestly don’t know. I stayed there. I know what I’m capable of. I know I can put a few returns back. It’s a very fast surface. He gave me a chance. I had an amazing forehand to break him in the third set. Then I just kept serving. On grass, if you lose your serve, it’s quite tough maybe. I’m not the guy who loses a lot of serves. I just kept serving and putting him in uncomfortable positions.

Sinner was chasing his second title on grass following his victory over Hubert Hurkacz in the Halle Open final last year. The 23-year-old later told reporters that he still hasn’t yet moved on from the French Open heartbreak and that he’s tired physically and will take a few days off before starting his preparation for Wimbledon.

Nicolas Escude gives his verdict on Jannik Sinner’s level on clay

Jannik Sinner played his career’s first French Open final this year. After much toil, he took a 2-0 lead and had three match points in the fourth set.

Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

Sinner couldn’t convert these points and his arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz took home his second consecutive title in the tournament after battling for five hours and 29 minutes. The tennis community for sure won’t easily forget this match, as it also ended up being the longest French Open final.

Sinner has received praise for his performance on his least favorite surface. Former player Nicolas Escude too has nothing but a lot of praise for Sinner for his improvement on the surface.

But you also have to look at the gap that Sinner has bridged on clay. He took a monumental blow to the head in the final, but I think he also surprised himself enormously with the quality of tennis he can produce on this surface.

Nicolas Escude told Eurosport

Sinner was chasing his second title on clay following the 2022 Umag Open which he lifted by beating Alcaraz. The French Open was the 22-year-old’s 11th title on the red dirt.

In the grass-court Major, Sinner has never advanced to the final. He was defeated in the semifinals in 2023 by seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, while last year, Medvedev ended his campaign. As Sinner and Alcaraz will be the first and second seed at Wimbledon, respectively, they will only face each other if they reach the championship match.

Also read: Carlos Alcaraz Wants to ‘Kill’ Novak Djokovic Because of ‘This’ Reason