Alexander Bublik told what he should be doing right now by Jimmy Connors following his win in Halle

Follow us on Google Discover

Turning his season around, Alexander Bublik has been in the best form of his life over the past few months.

Having fallen well outside the world’s top 50 earlier this year, Bublik reached the quarterfinals of this year’s French Open, defeating world number four Jack Draper in the last 16.

Carrying that momentum forward to the grass-court season, Bublik beat Jannik Sinner at the Halle Open, securing his first-ever win over a world number one.

Wins over Tomas Machac, Karen Khachanov, and Daniil Medvedev followed, as Bublik clinched the title in Halle.

Making a smart decision before Wimbledon, Bublik chose to withdraw from the Eastbourne International, as he switches his focus to the year’s third Grand Slam.

Ahead of Bublik’s return to action at the All England Club, one ATP Tour legend has told the Kazakh star what he should be doing right now.

Jimmy Connors says now is the time for Alexander Bublik to ‘prove himself’

During the latest episode of Advantage Connors, former world number one Jimmy Connors shared his thoughts on Bublik.

“You know that winning breeds confidence, and he beat the number one player in the world in [Jannik] Sinner and goes on and wins the tournament,” he said.

“If he doesn’t think that his job is over, his job is really just beginning now. He has proven he can beat the best player in the world, and he can win on grass.

“For me, one of the two biggest tournaments in the world, Wimbledon, and the US Open, are right around the corner, so now is the time for him to go ahead and prove himself and really start making a name for himself, if that is what he wants.”

Connors noted that Bublik may not have those ambitions and could instead be satisfied with his recent successes.

“Or you can say look what I just did, I beat Sinner and won a tournament before Wimbledon and that’s all good,” he said.

Questions persist over the Kazakh star’s motivation to fulfil his potential, as Bublik admitted he considered quitting tennis during a 2024 interview.

“I was saying I don’t want to play tennis, I don’t like that, I want to play for money, all these things,” he said.

“At that moment in 2022, I could finish and leave peacefully, you know, do nothing.”

Bublik will be glad he chose not to retire three years ago, as he now enjoys the best period of his tennis career.

Heading into Wimbledon, Bublik is considered by many to be a good candidate for a deep run at SW19.

Where does Alexander Bublik rank among the favorites for Wimbledon?

When talking about the favorites for Wimbledon, three names stand out: Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Sinner.

Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, will take to the court for his opening match at Wimbledon having last lost a match in April at the Barcelona Open, riding an 18-match winning streak.

Alternatively, Djokovic, the man Alcaraz beat in the 2023 and 2024 finals, shouldn’t be counted out, having won more titles (7) at Wimbledon than any other active player.

And, despite his defeat to Bublik in Halle, world number one Sinner will likely be a factor at the All England Club, as he looks to extend his streak of Grand Slam final appearances to four.

If none of the above were to win the title, the likes of Jack Draper, Taylor Fritz, and Daniil Medvedev could be primed to take advantage.

Beyond the six names mentioned, it’s hard to find anyone else with a better chance of winning Wimbledon than Bublik, who seemingly out of nowhere, has become a top contender.

He will, however, need to improve upon his career-best performance if he wants to live up to these newfound expectations, having never before reached the quarterfinals in London.

Bublik narrowly missed out on a place in the Wimbledon quarterfinals two years ago, when he lost to Russia’s Andrey Rublev in a deciding fifth set.

He’ll no doubt be hoping to go one better this year when the 2025 Wimbledon tournament begins on Monday, June 30.