Alexander Bublik: "Karen and I have been chatting more since the last North Palmyra Trophies"
- You’ve played three matches at this tournament. Could you compare them in terms of atmosphere? How comfortable was it playing with your partner Thanasi Kokkinakis?
- It wasn’t the first time I played with Thanasi. We’ve already reached the quarterfinals of Roland Garros together. Everything was great. I was really looking forward to the match with Karen [Khachanov], and so was he, as were all the fans. It was the best match in terms of atmosphere — both from the fans and the number of spectators — that I’ve ever played in St. Petersburg. I really hope to play a couple more like that next year.
- How has your relationship with the team captain been? Did he give you any useful advice? What was the communication like on the court?
- The captain [Janko Tipsarević] didn’t give much advice. We’ve only met two or three times in our lives. Mostly, we shared emotions about the stadium, the fans, and the atmosphere. We talked about more general topics.
- Can you tell us which tournaments you plan to start the next season with, and what goals you’ve set for yourself?
- Yes, we have a pretty clear plan, and the schedule has been set for a while. I’ll start with the ATP 250 tournament in Adelaide, then the Grand Slam, followed by the Davis Cup. I always set one main goal for myself — to finish the season healthy. That’s the most important thing for me. If I’m in good physical and mental shape, I’ll play well and deliver results.
- You were scheduled to play doubles with Karen Khachanov at the Paris tournament, but the match didn’t happen. Do you have plans to play with him next season, maybe in Australia?
- Karen and I have been chatting more since the last "North Palmyra Trophies" tournament. Yes, we agreed to play doubles in Paris, but he played so well in Vienna and made it to the singles semifinal in Paris, so he didn’t have the energy left. I think we’ll play doubles at some point; we get along well, but we’ll need to make sure the timing works for both of us. As for Australia, I plan to play doubles with Alexander Shevchenko — we’ve already agreed on that.
- Yesterday, there was a gala dinner for the players and guests of the tournament. What can you tell us about the event? Was it atmospheric and fun? Any details to share?
- It was too much fun — so much that it’s hard to recover today (laughs).
- The first two sets of your match today were quite even, but in the third set, did you run out of energy, or did you just decide to relax and enjoy it?
- It’s a pretty tough format — three days in a row of matches and training. I only started practicing three or four days before the tournament. I’ve been working hard in the gym and on the court, so I was definitely a bit tired. When I lost my serve, I told myself I didn’t have a chance to win anymore because of the new format. I’d have had to hold my serve, break my opponent’s serve — which isn’t easy — and then level the score, all in a short amount of time. So I just relaxed because there was no way to come back. In this format, if you lose three games in five or six minutes, it’s almost impossible to recover because there just isn’t enough time.
- Most of the tournament participants — as guests of St. Petersburg — use breaks in the tournament as an opportunity to explore the city. As a native of St. Petersburg, what do you do in your free time? Do you visit family? Or maybe play tennis on the rooftop of the Lakhta Center?
- No, I haven’t played tennis on the rooftop of the Lakhta Center. I really love walking. I often take walks around the city’s landmarks from my house. I enjoy St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, and the Mariinsky Theatre. My route often forms a loop, and I love walking, especially when my family is here. You can often find me strolling around our city’s landmarks.
- It wasn’t the first time I played with Thanasi. We’ve already reached the quarterfinals of Roland Garros together. Everything was great. I was really looking forward to the match with Karen [Khachanov], and so was he, as were all the fans. It was the best match in terms of atmosphere — both from the fans and the number of spectators — that I’ve ever played in St. Petersburg. I really hope to play a couple more like that next year.
- How has your relationship with the team captain been? Did he give you any useful advice? What was the communication like on the court?
- The captain [Janko Tipsarević] didn’t give much advice. We’ve only met two or three times in our lives. Mostly, we shared emotions about the stadium, the fans, and the atmosphere. We talked about more general topics.
- Can you tell us which tournaments you plan to start the next season with, and what goals you’ve set for yourself?
- Yes, we have a pretty clear plan, and the schedule has been set for a while. I’ll start with the ATP 250 tournament in Adelaide, then the Grand Slam, followed by the Davis Cup. I always set one main goal for myself — to finish the season healthy. That’s the most important thing for me. If I’m in good physical and mental shape, I’ll play well and deliver results.
- You were scheduled to play doubles with Karen Khachanov at the Paris tournament, but the match didn’t happen. Do you have plans to play with him next season, maybe in Australia?
- Karen and I have been chatting more since the last "North Palmyra Trophies" tournament. Yes, we agreed to play doubles in Paris, but he played so well in Vienna and made it to the singles semifinal in Paris, so he didn’t have the energy left. I think we’ll play doubles at some point; we get along well, but we’ll need to make sure the timing works for both of us. As for Australia, I plan to play doubles with Alexander Shevchenko — we’ve already agreed on that.
- Yesterday, there was a gala dinner for the players and guests of the tournament. What can you tell us about the event? Was it atmospheric and fun? Any details to share?
- It was too much fun — so much that it’s hard to recover today (laughs).
- The first two sets of your match today were quite even, but in the third set, did you run out of energy, or did you just decide to relax and enjoy it?
- It’s a pretty tough format — three days in a row of matches and training. I only started practicing three or four days before the tournament. I’ve been working hard in the gym and on the court, so I was definitely a bit tired. When I lost my serve, I told myself I didn’t have a chance to win anymore because of the new format. I’d have had to hold my serve, break my opponent’s serve — which isn’t easy — and then level the score, all in a short amount of time. So I just relaxed because there was no way to come back. In this format, if you lose three games in five or six minutes, it’s almost impossible to recover because there just isn’t enough time.
- Most of the tournament participants — as guests of St. Petersburg — use breaks in the tournament as an opportunity to explore the city. As a native of St. Petersburg, what do you do in your free time? Do you visit family? Or maybe play tennis on the rooftop of the Lakhta Center?
- No, I haven’t played tennis on the rooftop of the Lakhta Center. I really love walking. I often take walks around the city’s landmarks from my house. I enjoy St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, and the Mariinsky Theatre. My route often forms a loop, and I love walking, especially when my family is here. You can often find me strolling around our city’s landmarks.
