Entering the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam as the third seed and World No. 10, Alexander Bublik faced daunting odds against Hubert Hurkacz, trailing 1–6 in their H2H. Yet the Kazakh flipped the script with a statement win 6-7(2), 7-6(1), 7-5, and the drama didn’t end there, as Bublik stirred headlines by dragging Novak Djokovic into a fiery, brutal dig at the Pole.

After losing a point, Bublik openly vented on court. He complained that every outcome felt extreme, either brilliant or terrible. The lack of flow in Hurkacz’s game clearly irritated him.

He shouted, “Ace, ace, double fault, double fault, double fault, ace, ace, double fault, ace, ace, double fault. What the hell is this? And they tell me I have no rhythm. I’m Djokovic next to him, damn it!” drawing attention from the crowd.

The tension had started early in the match. Bublik dropped a tight opening set and looked unsettled. Hurkacz, ranked No. 70, kept the pressure on with his serve-heavy approach.

At one point, Bublik turned to his coach in frustration. He questioned his luck with the draw. “Why me? Why always me? Literally, like 20 people cannot play tennis, look at the draw. And I play him.”

The second set brought more drama. With Bublik leading 4-3, the inconsistency continued to bother him. He again voiced his irritation from the baseline: “Ace ace double shank shank ace shank double fault wtf is that give me some tennis.” 

Hurkacz, however, chose to stay away from any verbal exchanges. When asked later about Bublik’s remarks, he kept it brief and calm: “I don’t want to comment on it.”

The turning point came when Hurkacz served for the second set. Under pressure, he hit three double faults in a single game. It was a costly lapse at a crucial moment.

Reflecting on that phase, Hurkacz remained composed in his assessment: “Obviously, it was disappointing, but I was just trying to focus on the next game. It is always difficult to play against him. He is a great player, and it is always a battle.”

Despite the dramatic swings and emotional outbursts, Bublik managed to turn the match around and secure the win. Still, the chaotic nature of the contest left him far from satisfied with how the battle unfolded.

Alexander Bublik finds no positives to take from the match

The match lasted two hours and 21 minutes and was dominated by serve-heavy points and quick exchanges at the net. A major momentum swing in the second set changed the outcome. However, even after winning, Alexander Bublik was not happy with how he played.

Speaking after the match, the world No. 10 was extremely critical of his performance. He did not try to hide his disappointment: “Today was a very low-level match. I was lucky to win; I didn’t deserve the win, but he just gave me the match. I didn’t do anything well.”

Bublik admitted that he lacked confidence throughout the contest. 

“When I saw the draw, I already thought, why should I come here? During the match, I already packed my stuff before he made three double faults, because I was 100% sure I was going to lose, but then he gave me the three double faults. There is nothing positive to take away from this match,” said Bublik.

The Kazakh was also asked about his emotional comments during the match. He clarified that his words were not meant as criticism of Hubert Hurkacz. Instead, he said he was only describing what he felt was happening.

“I was not criticizing him; I was just stating the fact that he only made aces, double faults, and a shank. I looked like Djokovic because I actually had a rhythm, that is it,” Bublik added.

He also explained his earlier frustration about the draw. According to him, it was purely based on their H2H record. Hurkacz has been one of the toughest opponents for him.

“Well, about the comment on the draw, I just meant what I said about getting him in my draw. He is the only player in the draw I have that bad of a head-to-head against. Except for Daniil, but he was seeded, so I couldn’t play him in the first round. I guess that was what I meant.”

Another topic of discussion in Rotterdam has been the quality of the balls. Earlier, Daniil Medvedev had raised concerns about them. However, Bublik did not share the same opinion.

“Compared to what we played in Astana, this is a beautiful ball and a beautiful fast court,” he said, suggesting he was comfortable with the surface and equipment.

Despite his frustration, the result carried importance. The win ended a difficult run against Hurkacz. It was Bublik’s first victory over the Pole since 2020.

The victory also pushed him into the second round in Rotterdam. There, he is set to face Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff. It will be their fifth meeting on the ATP Tour.

Struff leads their H2H 3-1, giving him a clear edge. The stakes are high for both players. The winner will move into the quarterfinals.

In the next round, the winner will face either fifth seed Karen Khachanov or Jaume Munar. The path ahead looks challenging. 

With his current form and confidence levels, the big question remains whether Bublik can push past the round of 16.