'It’s for those who can’t play singles': Alexander Bublik mocks doubles ahead of Sinner clash

Alexander Bublik is never one to bite his tongue, and the Kazakh star has once again made headlines at the US Open. Fresh off a dramatic five-set win over Tommy Paul — 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1 — Bublik advanced to the fourth round, where he is set to face Jannik Sinner. But rather than just talking about his tennis, he sparked controversy by taking aim at doubles players and the value of the discipline within the sport in conversation with Ben Rothenberg in Bones.

Bublik, known for his candid and sometimes provocative statements, dismissed doubles as “not real tennis,” suggesting that those who can’t cut it in singles often switch to doubles. “Sometimes doubles is boring, because in a way it’s not real tennis. It’s for those who can’t play singles: they play doubles and then move on to padel or pickleball,” he said. His remarks immediately lit up the tennis community, with some applauding his honesty and others condemning the disrespect toward doubles specialists.

The Kazakh, who reached the Roland Garros doubles final in 2021 alongside Andrey Golubev, insisted he doesn’t value that accomplishment much. In his eyes, singles is the ultimate test of tennis, while doubles is more of a side activity. “I’m a Grand Slam finalist and, so what? I don’t even know where that trophy is. It’s useless. It’s like being a padel champion,” Bublik quipped.

Ahead of his blockbuster clash with Sinner, Bublik’s comments add an extra layer of intrigue to his US Open run. He has built a reputation not only for his unconventional style of play — big serves, drop shots, and trickery — but also for his willingness to shake up tennis traditions with his outspoken personality.

“Doubles is not real tennis”: Bublik lights up debate at US Open

For Bublik, doubles is more of a practice tool than a legitimate pursuit. “I like playing it for practice, for returns or just to share the court with someone I like. That’s fine. But taking it as a serious competition? Except for the money, if someone needs extra cash, I don’t see the point.”

He contrasted his own path with that of doubles specialists. “Look at Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson: they played doubles for fun and won a Slam. Any singles player who takes it seriously for a few weeks will get results. It’s always been that way. I made a Slam final, so now I can talk to doubles players like I’m one of them. I’m better than half of them, who never reached a Slam final. Imagine if I had won it! I’d tell them: ‘Guys, you don’t even know how to play tennis.’”

“Who’s the doubles player?”: Bublik challenges the specialists

Bublik even flipped the script on doubles specialists, suggesting he holds more legitimacy than they do. “When someone tells me, ‘I’m a doubles player.’ Do you have a Slam final? No. Well, I do. So, who’s the doubles player? I’m a specialist.”

At the same time, he drew a distinction between doubles players who stay humble and those who brag. “When I see guys say, ‘I can’t play singles, so I play doubles and won three Slams,’ I respect that. But the ones who sit there and think they’re tennis players… no. That’s why a lot of singles guys laugh. It’s a joke: they can’t even move side to side.”

Respect for the “good guys”

Despite his sharp tongue, Bublik insisted he respects doubles players with the right attitude. “I know many of them. Andrea Vavassori is a great guy; I wish him all the success. Simone Bolelli, others too. Even Thompson: if he quit singles tomorrow, he’d be honest and say ‘I can’t play’ or ‘I’m injured,’ and that’s fine.”

For Bublik, it all comes down to self-awareness. “Andrea worked hard. He got to 150 in singles, saw he couldn’t go further, switched to doubles, and won a Slam or two. That’s fine. He’s down to earth, he knows his path. He’s going to make millions playing like that, and that’s okay.”