“You don’t get anywhere without hard work.”
That’s how Alexander Bublik wrapped up his press conference after reaching the Roland-Garros quarterfinals. Just an hour earlier, he scored the biggest win of his career — beating Jack Draper, a top-5 player having the best season of his life. It was Bublik’s first victory over a top-five opponent and his first time making it this far at a Slam. And it wasn’t even his only upset that week. In the second round he came back from two sets down to knock out Alex de Minaur.

Until now, no one saw Bublik as a real threat at majors. The usual take was: doesn’t work hard enough, doesn’t grind, doesn’t want it badly. He was often compared to Nick Kyrgios — brilliant but unpredictable. Headlines about Bublik used to mention dogs or churches more often than wins. That was the kind of spotlight he drew. But right now, he’s playing the best tennis of his life. And like he said himself if he didn’t have the hunger to compete he wouldn’t be here.

What many people forget is that Bublik already made a final in doubles at Roland-Garros. Back in 2021, he and Andrey Golubev came within two points of beating French favorites Mahut and Herbert. Four years later, Bublik got a standing ovation from the same crowd after reaching his first singles quarterfinal. He dropped to the clay in celebration after match point. Just two weeks ago he was winning a Challenger in Turin. Now he’s playing like someone who belongs in Turin in November — at the ATP Finals.

Can he keep it up all season?
That’s still a question. But when he’s locked in, he can be dangerous to anyone. He showed that here in Paris. Next up is a quarterfinal against Jannik Sinner. And no one will be surprised if Bublik tries an underarm serve or drops another classic one-liner mid-match. That’s part of who he is. The flair won’t go away whether it’s a Slam on center court or a Challenger on a side court. But this time, it’s his talent and drive to win that stand out. And in tennis that can make all the difference.