Although the 2024 season has ended, the doping controversies surrounding ATP number one Jannik Sinner and WTA number two Iga Swiatek show no signs of fading. Amid the fraternity’s divided opinions, Kazakh player Alexander Bublik has shared his perspective, drawing an unexpected parallel to a dialogue from the movie Kung Fu Panda. While his stance remains unapologetically bold, the ATP star chooses not to align with Nick Kyrgios, offering a unique yet measured take on the ongoing debate.

Bublik had an interesting take on Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner’s doping controversy. Swiatek tested positive for Trimetazidine which entered her system through contaminated melatonin. After failing the doping test in August, Swiatek received an immediate one-month suspension from ITIA. However, she claimed her innocence from the beginning, and upon proving that, she returned to the court in December. On the other side, Jannik Sinner tested positive for Clostebol in March, which entered his body when Sinner’s former physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi massaged him. The Italian ATP star received eight days of suspension and his 2024 Indian Wells prize money was stripped. Although Swiatek and Sinner received treatments for their ordeal, the players couldn’t stop the controversy that has been going on in the media for a long and now entered this new season.

Bublik, currently playing in Adelaide International’s Round of 32 against Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanović, had a quirky take on Swiatek and Sinner’s innocence. When asked about the ongoing doping fiasco in an interview with a Russian Sports channel, Match TV, this Kazakhstani ATP star quoted a famous line from the movie Kung Fu Panda and said, “ Master Oogway in Kung Fu Panda says, ‘There are no accidents.’ ”  Bublik’s statement showcased that he didn’t believe in Sinner and Swiatek’s claim of innocence completely. When he was asked again if he felt something “fishy” about the incident, the ATP star’s response directed the audience in the same way. “I think that accidents are not accidental. I can quote more proverbs and sayings: ‘There is no smoke without fire,’ ‘if the shoe fits…’ Thats what I think,” said Bublik.

Despite speaking his mind about the fiasco, Bublik remained firm about one thing: Nick Kyrgios’ brutal criticism of the situation. Reflecting on that controversy, he said “If you took all of Nick’s words, tried to analyze them and draw conclusions, you could go crazy. I probably don’t agree.”  Although he indirectly took a jibe at Sinner and Swiatek, he still didn’t align his thoughts with Nick Kyrgios. He felt the Aussie player’s explanations and actions of the situation weren’t appropriate.

Interstingly, Bublik also confessed to being closer to suspension for missing out on two doping tests. In an interview, he opened up about this situation and also accepted his “mistake.”

Alexander Bublik revealed how he nearly came closer to a suspension

During an interview with Match TV, this Kazakhstani player revealed that he missed two doping tests and spent days anxiously thinking about how one more missed test could leave him with a suspension. “Once I didn’t change the address of my house in Monaco to St. Petersburg, and people came to Monaco. You can miss a doping control three times (in a year), and that’s how I got my first,” said Bublik.

He then explained how things ended up like that. “I took it calmly – yes, I made a mistake. Then it happened that on April 20, I entered the tournament in Geneva, which started on May 25. I received a notification that I received a second (missed test) because I did not notify them (doping officers) about participation in the tournament in Geneva. If had gotten another, I would have been disqualified. I think specifically I would have been disqualified to the fullest extent. I appealed the case in Geneva because we have not yet signed a contract with the tournament. I did not know if I would go and under what conditions,” said Bublik.

Alexander Bublik’s opinion about Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek’s doping case highlights how the fraternity is divided over the two players’ claim of innocence. It also showcased that these two players made such a buzz because of their top ranking, which impacted the good image of the sport worldwide. However, those days are in the past and players are now looking forward to an eventful 2025 season.

What do you think about Bublik’s statement? Let us know in the comments below.