Alexander Bublik might be the best player ever who has a losing record on the ATP tour. There is no one to blame for this, of course, other than himself. He has the serve and the powerful forehand to dominate most opponents. The issue is that many times, he simply appears not to feel the need to do so.
His match against ATP No. 1 Jannik Sinner on the grass courts of the Terra Wortmann Open seemed meaningless enough. Bublik suffered a break of service and lost 3-6 in the first set. The Italian was likely just using the tournament to get a bit of work in before Wimbledon. Bublik wasn't a real threat.
Or so it seemed. What Sinner faced on Thursday in Halle, Germany, was the motivated version of Bublik. Most players would have an issue with the Russian in this form, and Sinner is certainly one of the best players of his generation.
Alexander Bublik shocks the tennis world by beating Jannik Sinner
Bublik could be, too, if he wanted to be. Yet, the 28-year-old Russian entered Halle with a career record of 163-164, and had never made it higher than No. 17. That is nearly criminal in the tennis world. Maybe Bublik simply knows he is good enough to make a decent amount of money playing the sport, but he doesn't really care to do all the things it takes to get into the top 10.
Perhaps Sinner simply had an off day, and Bublik took advantage. After winning the first set 6-3, the Italian was broken in the second set and lost 6-3. This set up a deciding third set, and Bublik got another break at 3-all.
Sinner pushed Bublik in his next service game and got to deuce, but Bublik held. The game was indicative of how the second and third sets had gone. Sinner made unusual and terrible decisions, and his normal elite will to win wasn't there. It was strange, especially after his last match was against Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final, arguably the best match ever played.
Bublik held in his final game to take the match 3-6 6-3 6-4. Sinner will hold on to his top ranking, but he isn't the player in the best form on the ATP tour currently. Carlos Alcaraz is, and Sinner's shock loss to Bublik likely means Alcaraz is ascending in time for Wimbledon, while Sinner is descending.