Remember Alexander Bublik’s brutal French Open exit? He fell to Italian Jannik Sinner in straight sets, even suffering the sting of a dreaded “bagel.” But tennis doesn’t wait on heartbreak; it demands evolution. And evolve, Bublik did! Rising from the ashes of Roland Garros, the Kazakh has turned heads on grass, exacting revenge by defeating Sinner in the R16 and storming into the final of Halle. Yet, it’s not just his comeback that’s making waves; it’s his audacious on-court flair. His trick shots have now drawn the eye of Andy Roddick, the former US Open champ, who couldn’t help but weigh in on Bublik’s unpredictable magic!

Alexander Bublik clawed his way into yet another final after surviving a nerve-shredding SF clash against Karen Khachanov. The Kazakh rallied from a set down to seal a 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory, showing nerves of steel when it mattered most. Just two points from defeat in the 2nd-set tiebreak, Bublik refused to blink. He stared down a double break point early in the 3rd, held firm, broke Khachanov midway, and served it out with icy composure. With this, he marches into his 12th career final, carrying a 4-7 record from his previous eleven.

But it wasn’t just the resilience that grabbed headlines; it was the mischief. Bublik’s infamous underarm serves made a dramatic return, catching even tennis legend Andy Roddick’s attention. The American Hall of Famer couldn’t help but take notice of Bublik’s bold, unorthodox tactics, proof that the Kazakh doesn’t just play the game, he rewrites it with flair.

On a recent episode of the “TC Live Podcast,” Andy Roddick was asked if he’d ever faced a player like Alexander Bublik, someone whose match tactics seem to dance on the edge of chaos. The former US Open champion didn’t hold back. “I guess, there were, I am trying to think like not anyone who’s kind of in the middle of a match with doing crazy stuff, yet people who would kind of like fade in and out of matches, do crazy things but Bublik does this stuff like when the chips are down. That’s like a strategy, you know. I don’t know anyone who’s kind of this intentionally nuts,” he added.

True to form, Bublik once again turned heads with his underarm serves during his SF clash. But this wasn’t a one-off party trick; it’s part of his unpredictable tennis arsenal. Once, famously brushing off the controversy, Bublik declared, “It shouldn’t be a big deal — it’s just a stupid shot that gives a player an advantage.” And controversy hasn’t stayed far behind him, though. He was even caught in a VAR drama earlier this season, a wild moment that unfolded during the Dubai Tennis Championships this year.

In that match against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the first round, the Kazakh unleashed an underarm ace on a second serve, right after a video review forced a point replay at 6-6 in the 1st-set tiebreak. As the world watched, Bublik didn’t flinch. He turned a moment of tension into a spectacle, as only he can.

Now, with momentum on his side and magic in his racket, Bublik is eyeing the biggest prize of his season. A title in Halle would match the ATP 500 crown he won there 2 years ago. But waiting across the net is Daniil Medvedev, undefeated in 6 matches against him. Yet, they’ve never clashed on grass. 

However, what exactly sparked Bublik’s recent resurgence? That’s the million-dollar question.

A Las Vegas trip that transformed Alexander Bublik’s game

After reaching a career-high of 17th last year, Alexander Bublik, whose Roland Garros form, even shook the former coach of Serena Williams, felt the pressure become serious. He doubled down, training harder, ditching the junk food, and skipping the parties. But instead of reaping results, he found himself spiraling into burnout. “Right now everybody is like robots, and they’re just crazy, crazy performance guys. Then I did it. Unfortunately, to be honest, my fall was not linked with lack of attitude and lack of practicing. It was the exact opposite. I just burned out because I was waiting for the results to come,” Bublik revealed in the French capital.

With a dismal 2-8 record and a 1st-round exit at Indian Wells, the cracks were showing. That’s when coach Artem Suprunov made a bold call: Las Vegas. The pair escaped to Sin City for a 3-day reset before the Phoenix Challenger. “I said, ‘Okay, let’s go to Vegas.’ We enjoy. We change the racket. We did many things. I said, Okay, if it goes, it goes. If not, thank you very much, tennis, and it worked,” Bublik said, reflecting on the spark that reignited his fire.

Now standing one match away from glory in Halle, Bublik prepares to face his long-time nemesis, Daniil Medvedev. Down 0-6 in their H2H, the odds are stacked. But could his tricks and Vegas-fueled resurgence finally rewrite the script? What do you think?