ROLAND GARROS . France
In one of the biggest surprises of the day at Roland Garros, Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik (ranked No. 62 in the world) stunned fifth seed Jack Draper (No. 5) with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory. This triumph not only propelled him into the quarterfinals of the French Open, but also made history: Bublik became the first Kazakhstani man ever to reach this stage in a men’s singles Grand Slam.
In an emotional on-court interview, Bublik shared his raw feelings:
“Sometimes in life, you only get one shot, and I had the feeling this was mine—I couldn’t let it slip away. Being here is the best moment of my life. Period.”
Later, in his press conference, he reflected on his performance and mindset:
“I gave it everything. I have a certain ability to play tennis, and today it worked beautifully. It’s 100 percent one of the best matches I’ve played in my life. Simple as that.”