At that same tournament, Bublik would play Alcaraz for the first time, being beaten by the Spaniard 6-3, 6-0.

Bublik has now spoken about that match with Alcaraz, and why he is less likely to watch the highlights compared to some of his other matches.

Alexander Bublik suggests why it would not be as useful to watch his highlights vs Carlos Alcaraz

Bublik reached the French Open quarterfinals last year, and he also won two ATP titles on clay in 2025.

The Kazakhstani made an impressive start to the clay court season this year, beating Jiri Lehecka and Gael Monfils at the Monte Carlo Masters, and Bublik reflected on his performances last week when speaking to Tennis TV.

“I think it’s always important to start any part of the season, you know if it’s hard courts, if it’s indoors, if it’s clay, grass, it’s always nice to start with a couple of wins,” said Bublik. “It gives you an understanding of where your game is.

“In my opinion, it gives you an understanding of where your game is. Because for me, when I come into the new part of the season, onto a new surface, I always look at my matches I played last year. Because you tend to forget a little bit the way you play, which shots you executed the best.

“So I was quite a lot into my highlights from the last year on clay court. Also some bad ones, some bad losses can help you a lot to understand and then I was like okay that pattern I used on clay in 2025. Of course I am a different player now, you know I grew up, maybe I became slower, maybe I became faster.

“So it is a different type of scenario when you enter the clay court or any other type of surface and I wasn’t sure how I was going to be, because I didn’t feel the shots I was feeling last year as good as I felt in 2025 or in 2026, you know it’s always fast hard courts to clay. So to start with a few wins is good, because it gives you a real understanding of where you’re at and what you’re looking at in terms of improvement up to the French Open, so it’s really important.”

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When asked a follow-up question about watching highlights of his matches, Bublik explained that this is something he has done for his whole career.

“No, I’ve always been told since a very young age that you’re changing and you’re not sure after a couple of losses, you know in Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami, you are not sure where your game is at,” said Bublik.

“Did I do something wrong, why am I losing, why am I losing to guys ranked outside the top 100? Why this loss, why that loss? And then you look and you say okay, that’s what I was doing for example on clay, let me try to replicate that in 2026. I went on court and I tried to do the things, then it started to work in the practice, so I felt like okay, this shot was bringing me the wins.

“This kind of thing I have been doing for all my life, I mean my number one Google search is Alexander Bublik highlights, because I am always watching what I did well and what I did not do. So for example, yesterday I was watching my match against Zizou Bergs in Munich last year. It was a horrible match from my end, it was one of the worst matches I have played probably in my career, but it gives me an understanding of what I improved in a year.

“So I looked back exactly Munich 2025, what has changed, what has brought me the wins, what has stopped me from winning? That is a learning process that I do non-stop, it doesn’t take so much time, like 20 minute videos that you look and where you’re at.

“And when you don’t feel so good, you look at your best matches and you say this is the best match I have ever played and can I do it now. Am I fast enough, do I have something hurting me? So that’s my approach that has always been there, I just haven’t shared it before.”

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While watching his highlights is something Bublik spends a lot of time doing, he admitted that he is less likely to watch his match with Alcaraz back.

Instead, Bublik suggested that his win over Lehecka would be more of a helpful video to him, as he stated that matches against Alcaraz and Sinner are exceptions.

“That doesn’t make any difference in my opinion,” Bublik said about his Alcaraz match. “When you look at your game against those two…I’d rather watch my highlights against someone, let’s say Jiri Lehecka, who is on the rise, Masters final. Then you see he played long Miami, then he played two long very tough matches, so I am not sure he was at his physical peak.

“But he is the player we can conquer, we can conquer each other, but with Carlos and Jannik it is a bit different because of how they demolish all of us. Sometimes when he feels bored he wants to lose the set, it’s nice to lose the set to someone, you know it’s fun.

“You know not to take it too seriously the way you play against him. I mean it doesn’t matter if you lose 7-5, 6-2 or 6-0, 6-0, because you are still going to lose at the end most likely if one or the other wants to beat you.”

Alexander Bublik could return to the top 10 this week

Bublik will continue his clay court season at the BMW Open in Munich, where he could rise back up the rankings.

At his current ranking of world number 11, Bublik could break back into the top 10 if he reaches the semifinals in Munich.

Bublik has a career-high ranking of world number 10 and could even reach as high as world number seven this week, depending on the results of Ben Shelton in Munich, as well as Alex de Minaur and Lorenzo Musetti in Barcelona.

Some of the threats to Bublik reaching the semifinals in Munich include Stefanos Tsitsipas, Denis Shapovalov and Tallon Griekspoor.

Bublik will begin his campaign in Munich on Tuesday, March 14, as he takes on qualifier Alex Molcan.