Jannik Sinner Upset by Alexander Bublik in Three-Set Thriller

Originally posted on Serve on SI | By Megha Gupta | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 8:02 AM ET

It was revenge in the sweetest form for Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik as he defeated Jannik Sinner in a three-set rollercoaster at the Terra Wortmann Open.

A little over two weeks ago, the two faced off in the Roland Garros quarterfinals, where Sinner routed Bublik 6-1, 7-5, 6-0. It was an entirely different story in Halle.

Neither Sinner nor Bublik are strangers to winning this tournament, having won in 2024 and 2023, respectively. This year's battle of past champions brought all the winners, tweeners, and underarm serves one can expect when playing the ever-unpredictable Bublik.

In true Bublik fashion, the Kazakh hit 36 winners and 15 aces on his way to his first victory against a World No. 1 player. As if it can't get even more impressive, Sinner held a 66-match win streak against players ranked outside the Top 20 prior to his loss to Bublik.

It's also the first time someone not named Carlos Alcaraz has beaten Sinner since August 2024, when Andrey Rublev defeated Sinner in the Toronto Masters 1000 quarterfinals.

"The guy is an unbelievable player, number one in the world," Bublik said in his on-court interview after the match. "I was a bit tight in the beginning, served a couple of double faults. But since then, I said to myself, what can I do? I just continue serving. We'll see if he gives me chances. He did. I used them."

Sinner came into the tournament admitting to "sleepless nights" following a devastating five-set loss to Alcaraz at the Roland Garros men's singles finals. He insisted that he was coming into his title defense with a clear mind, and it certainly seemed that way in his straight-set win against Yannick Hanfmann.

The Italian started out strong against Bublik, taking the first set 6-3 without facing a break point. The momentum shifted in the second set when Bublik fended off three break points in his first service game of the set.

A breakthrough came after a mishit forehand from Sinner gave Bublik the break to take a 4-2 lead. Bublik went on to win the second set 6-3 before breaking Sinner once more with a stunning forehand pass cross-court that propelled him to a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.

"I came here, I tried everything, and after the defeat at Roland Garros, I knew right away," Sinner said while speaking to Tennis Channel DE. "Despite everything, I'm relatively satisfied. I now have to regenerate mentally and physically."

Elsewhere in Halle, Tomás Etcheverry upset fourth seed Rublev 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6), while Alexander Zverev survived a three-set battle against Lorenzo Sonego. Bublik moves onto the quarterfinals, where he will face Tomáš Macháč.

This article first appeared on Serve on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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