The 2025 French Open delivered a spectacle on Court Suzanne-Lenglen as Alexander Bublik, the unranked Kazakhstani showman, stunned world number five Jack Draper in a fourth-round epic, winning 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final. The match, a masterclass of audacious shot-making, captivated fans and players alike, including world number one Aryna Sabalenka, who found herself rooting for Draper in the tense fourth set. “In that fourth set I was supporting Draper because Bublik was doing crazy stuff on the court,” Sabalenka revealed in her post-match press conference, her eyes gleaming with admiration for the Kazakh’s fearless play. The Belarusian star, fresh off her own quarter-final victory over Qinwen Zheng, was drawn into the match’s drama, marveling at Bublik’s unrelenting use of drop shots that left Draper scrambling.
Bublik’s performance was a whirlwind of creativity, with 37 drop shot attempts—12 landing as clean winners—disrupting Draper’s rhythm and showcasing his unpredictable genius. “It was like whatever he would decide to do it would go in,” Sabalenka said, describing the surreal nature of Bublik’s shot selection, including drop shots from the return that seemed to defy logic. “It doesn’t make sense!” she laughed, noting that Bublik’s 36 drop shots, paired with eight aces and 68 total winners, made it feel like “his day.” For Sabalenka, the match highlighted the tactical nuance of the drop shot, a risky move she believes requires “good hands” and a keen “understanding of the court.” She suggested that while WTA players are increasingly mixing up their game, “not every girl is that fearless like Bublik,” whose bold approach made him a standout in Paris.
Draper, who had surged to a career-high world number five after a stellar clay season, including a Madrid Open final, started strongly, taking the first set 7-5 with his powerful left-handed serve and forehand. But Bublik, ranked 62nd, turned the tide with a barrage of slices, chips, and perfectly weighted drop shots that left the Briton “befuddled,” as one observer noted. “I don’t play many matches where I feel like it’s almost out of my control what’s going on, and he made that happen today,” Draper admitted, acknowledging Bublik’s ability to make him feel “extremely uncomfortable.” The Kazakh’s emotional investment was palpable; after clinching the match, he collapsed to the clay, tears in his eyes, later calling it “the best moment of my life.” He reflected, “Sometimes in life there’s only one chance, and I had a feeling that that was mine, and I couldn’t let it slip.”
Sabalenka’s support for Draper stemmed from her appreciation for his meteoric rise and competitive spirit. “Jack, for me, is insane,” Bublik himself had said before the match, marveling at Draper’s transformation from world number 40 to a top-five contender in just a year. Yet, Bublik’s relentless variety—pounding two-handed backhands one moment, feathering volleys the next—overwhelmed Draper, whose forehand and serve faltered as the match progressed. “He missed hardly any [drop shots],” Draper said, frustrated by Bublik’s ability to pair delicate touch with blistering power. “It’s tough, because you know that’s coming, but yet he can unload on the forehand as well. You just don’t know what to do.”
The match, a microcosm of Bublik’s mercurial talent, marked his second top-10 win of the tournament, following a comeback from two sets down against Alex de Minaur. His journey to the quarter-finals, where he faces world number one Jannik Sinner, is a testament to a renewed mindset after a burnout-induced slump earlier in 2025. A Las Vegas road trip with his coach, who warned he’d be “out of tennis” without a change, sparked a revival, leading to a Challenger title in Phoenix and a clay-court triumph in Turin. For Sabalenka, Bublik’s performance was a reminder of the drop shot’s potency on clay, where extra time allows powerful players to “mix it up and make the other player guess.” As she prepares for her semi-final against Iga Swiatek, Sabalenka’s enthusiasm for the men’s match underscores the electric atmosphere at Roland Garros, where unpredictability and brilliance collide.
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