Having last played the Cincinnati Masters in 2021, Alexander Bublik has since skipped the high-profile Masters 1000 event, which might lead people to wonder whether the Kazakh is not particularly fond of the tournament. However, in a recent interview, the World No. 11 disclosed the real reason behind his decision to skip the tournament for four years in a row.

“For the past four years, yes”, said Bublik to Ben Rothenberg in an interview. “I have my son’s birthday, and I don’t think that the Cincinnati Masters is worth missing such important moments”. Bublik’s son, Vasily, was born on August 16, 2022, during which time Bublik had taken some time off from the court to be there for his son’s birth.

The way the tennis calendar is structured, young Vasily’s birthday is bang in the middle of the Cincinnati Masters, which generally is in full swing during mid-August, which saw Bublik make the decision of skipping a vital event. This also helps the Kazakh refresh, as he avoids playing consecutive two-week Masters events, allowing him to tackle the US Open with all his energy.

This is not the first time that Bublik has spoken about how family and being a father matter to him. When the Kazakh was having his breakthrough run at Roland Garros last year, he opened up about his modified approach to sport, one which would help him keep rising up the rankings, but not at the cost of sacrificing his role as a father.

“There is no way around hard work. Don’t get me wrong. I work hard, but on my terms,” said Bublik at the French Open last year. “I prioritize my health and my lifestyle, as well, because I have a family and I’m a father, and I have to do my father duties”.

Being away from one’s children is one of the toughest sacrifices tennis players have to make to accommodate a hectic schedule throughout the year. Top players like Taylor Fritz also opened up recently about how he struggled with being away from his son for long periods of time due to his on-court commitments throughout the year.

On the other hand, Bublik’s newfound approach to scheduling might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it seems to be working for the Kazakh, as he has had his best time on the court in the last two seasons.

Alexander Bublik Hit His Peak in the Last Two Seasons

Since breaking into the Top 40 back in 2021, Bublik’s progress in the rankings stalled, with the Kazakh ending four consecutive seasons ranked in the mid-30s, which is no mean feat, but showed a lack of improvement on his part. However, 2025 was the turning point for Bublik, as he won four titles in the season across all three surfaces. He had his first notable Grand Slam run at the French Open, where he reached the quarterfinals, and also had a victory over Jannik Sinner in Halle, at a time when the Italian looked near invincible on the Tour.

Bublik began 2026 strong as well, winning the title in Hong Kong, which gave him his Top-10 debut on the ATP Rankings. He had consecutive title defenses at Gstaad and Kitzbuhel this year, but in both events, Quentin Halys beat him, with the Frenchman winning in the final in Kitzbuhel.

Staying true to his work-life balance mantra, Bublik has withdrawn from the Canadian Open, with the Kazakh all but certainly not being in action in Cincinnati. Having not played these events last year, Bublik will not have many points to defend, and he can focus solely on the US Open, where he has a decent chunk of points from last year for reaching the fourth round. Making a deep run at a Slam is one of the few things missing from Bublik’s resume, and one can imagine that the former World No.10 will be motivated to set the record straight in New York.