The French Open is heating up! The men’s singles are in the quarterfinals, and Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik are battling for a spot in the semis. For Sinner, this could be his second straight semifinal at Roland Garros. For Bublik, it would be a new milestone. Clay has never been the Kazakhs’ best surface. In recent years, he has never made it past the second round. But this time, he’s back with new energy and is celebrating every little win. Although some fans are puzzled by it!

On Wednesday, Jannik took the lead in their match. The action was on Court Philippe-Chatrier. In the first set, the Italian raced to a 5-0 lead. At 15:30 in the sixth game, Sinner made it 0-30. Bublik is famous for his streaks and wonder shots. He’s a feel-merchant. But he can’t keep up with Sinner’s level right now. That’s understandable. Bublik can beat almost anyone when he’s on. But the very best are immune to his hot streaks. Still, Bublik uses his big serve to save a set point at 30-40. On advantage, Sinner overhits a putaway. Bublik wins his first game and salutes the crowd.

It didn’t last long. Jannik Sinner won the set 6-1. An X user cut Alexander Bublik some slack for his celebration after winning a game. They wrote, “Sinner eases to a first set lead in this QF with Bublik celebrating taking a game off the top seed at Court Philippe-Chatrier. #RolandGarros” But why was the Kazakh so happy?

Winning just one game feels like a victory for Alexander Bublik, given what’s at stake. This is his first Grand Slam QF ever! Ranked World No. 62 coming into Paris, he made this breakthrough by beating two Top 10 players: a wild five-set comeback against World No. 9 Alex de Minaur and a four-set win over World No. 5 Jack Draper. This is his seventh main draw appearance at the French Open, and until now, he’d never gone past the second round.

His game is a unique mix of audacious shots, including a barrage of drop shots—37 against Draper, 12 of them winners. He plays with a relaxed vibe that’s won over the crowd. This is a stark contrast to his pre-tournament clay-court win rate of just 41%. So, his celebration against the world No. 1, who hasn’t dropped a set, is understandable. Some fans might find it amusing!

Fans give their take on Alexander Bublik’s game celebration

One fan couldn’t help but find humor in the moment. They wrote, “Bublik celebrate his 1st game point like winning a set 😂 #RolandGarros2025.” Still, you have to give Bublik some credit! Jannik is no easy opponent. He just completed his 52nd week as world No. 1. He’s also shown massive improvement on clay.

Sinner captured more than 39% of his return games throughout his six Rome matches. This soared above his career average of 27.6%. It beat his usual clay court mark of 32.6%. Even his 2024 clay season rate was just 33%. Even more striking: during his first five matches at the Foro Italico, Sinner—already a four-time Masters 1000 champion—won nearly half of his return games. He finished at 48%. The Italian’s return game dominance sent a clear message. He returned from his break sharper than ever.

Another fan echoes similar sentiments, writing, “Did Bublik celebrate winning a game?????????” Alexander Bublik wasn’t the only one who celebrated taking a game off Jannik! His previous opponents have faced a similar tough challenge. They’ve also celebrated and shown relief after finally winning a game.
For instance, during Sinner’s third-round match against Jiri Lehecka, the Czech didn’t stand a chance in the first set (6-0).

He managed to win a game in the second set. That earned him a roar from the crowd! As another fan pointed out, “Rublev, Lehecka and now Bublik. all celebrated when they won a game 😭 He made them like he is playing itf players.” To be fair, Jannik has been delivering bagels (6-0) and breaksticks (6-1) against his opponents this tournament. He did it first at the Italian Open as well, against Casper Ruud. Ruud didn’t stand a chance against him in the quarterfinals, losing 6-0, 6-1.

One fan wanted to bring in some perspective. They tweeted, “Bublik winning one game and celebrating tells you a lot 😂.” And it’s true. Sascha hasn’t had an easy run in the last couple of years. Alexander Bublik once soared to a career-high world No. 17 last May. Soon, his form and ranking slipped. But as we can see, he feels a turnaround is underway.

Last month, Bublik claimed victory in Turin. Now he has surged into the Roland-Garros fourth round after beating Henrique Rocha in straight sets. In his post-match press conference, he shared his journey over the past year. Bublik explained that his ranking dip wasn’t due to a lack of effort. He actually tried too hard, which he believes held him back until now.

One fan gave a more positive review of Sascha’s win, writing, “Bublik win his first game after 27 minutes. Crazy #RolandGarros” And not just one game—the Kazakh managed to bring the second set into a tiebreaker, although he lost it 5-7. However, he was unable to keep up his momentum. Jannik once again won the third set in six straight games.

In the Italian Open, Sinner won against Alexander Bublik in their clash, advancing to the semifinals. This run was impressive from Sascha. Perhaps he’ll come back stronger in the grass court season? What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below!