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Alexander Bublik has openly outlined his frustrations with the grueling tennis calendar and advocated for its overhaul.
Bublik is currently in Oslo for the first leg of the 2024 Ultimate Tennis Showdown event. Drawn in Group A alongside Holger Rune, Andrey Rublev, and Dominic Thiem, the Kazakh currently hold the second spot in the group standings, behind Rune, having defeated Thiem 16-13, 17-14, 16-17, 13-12 in his opening match.
While in Oslo, Alexander Bublik voiced his strong support for revamping the tennis tour. He highlighted that the tournaments had remained relatively unchanged for over a decade, with prize money registering only minuscule growth.
"I’m for changes, and I want I want the changes to come because we are playing the same tournaments, the same prize money for the past 15 years," he told Tennis Majors.
"They are increasing the prize money for two percent and they think we need to get that and be happy. So I think the changes are crucial. We need them, and players need them," he added.
In addition to championing increased prize money, Bublik also emphasized the need for changes to the "demanding" tennis calendar. He pointed out the physical and mental toll of playing continuously for 11 months with minimal time off and emphasized that the players deserved to have a "better life."
"Players deserve the changes, and players deserve to be treated well, paid well and play less, and enjoy the atmosphere more because otherwise it’s really demanding to play for 11 months in a row," Alexander Bublik said.
"Then at the end of the year, you’ve got one month off and then go on again. So I think the players deserve a better life," he added.
A brief look at Alexander Bublik's 2024 season so far
Alexander Bublik kicked off his 2024 season at the Adelaide International, defeating James McCabe 6-2, 6-3 in his tournament opener. He claimed a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 win over Dan Evans and beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-5 to reach the semifinals of the event. Jack Draper then ended the Kazakh's run, winning 7-6(2), 6-4.
Subsequently, the 26-year-old suffered a shock upset at the hands of Sumit Nagal at the Australian Open. Nagal dominated their first-round clash, claiming a 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(5) victory.
Bublik competed at the Open Sud de France next, securing a hard-fought 1-6, 7-6(12), 6-3 win over Denis Shapovalov. He defeated Alexander Shevchenko 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and triumphed over Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the final of the ATP 250 event in Montpellier.
The Kazakh emerged victorious against Borna Coric in the summit clash, winning 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 to become the first player in history to win a tour-level tournament while dropping the first set in all of his matches.
Following his participation in the Ultimate Tennis Showdown event, Alexander Bublik will be in action at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, taking on Coric in his tournament opener.
