Alexander Bublik Smashes Racquet, Punches Fridge and Still Wins in Shanghai

Alexander Bublik's Dramatic Meltdown and Injury in Shanghai

Kazakh tennis player Alexander Bublik delivered another extraordinary meltdown on the tennis court, which this time ended in self-inflicted injury. The 29-year-old Kazakh, ranked 22nd in the world, lost his temper during his match against American Brandon Nakashima in the third round of the Shanghai Masters, smashing his racquet, kicking his chair, and punching a beverage refrigerator until he was injured and required medical treatment. Despite all this, he managed to recover and win 7:6 (9:7), 3:6, 6:7 (5:7), securing a meeting with Alexander Zverev in the round of 16.

The incident occurred after Bublik lost the first-set tiebreak, during which he missed two set points. In response, he slammed his racquet against the hard court five times until it broke, advanced toward his chair, and kicked it as well, before throwing the destroyed racquet behind him. However, the Kazakh was still not calm and decided to take out his frustration on the beverage refrigerator standing next to him. He struck it with his right fist with great force, shattered the cover, and cut his hand.

Medical Treatment and Ultimate Victory

Chair umpire John Blom issued Bublik a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct, but the physical injury was more significant than the penalty. The tennis player tried to stop the bleeding with a towel, and when that failed, he requested a medical timeout and called a physiotherapist to treat the cut. After receiving treatment, he returned to the court, won the next two sets, and completed a comeback against Nakashima.

"Whole Bublik crashout video... Racket smash, Swearing, Breaking things, Unsportsmanlike conduct. Looking at a hefty fine here..." — Social Media Report

This is not the first time Bublik has caused a stir due to his behavior. In 2020, he declared, "I hate tennis with all my heart," explaining that he continues to play because of the high prize money in the sport. Last May, during a match against Arthur Rinderknech at the Geneva tournament, he was caught on camera making derogatory remarks about his French opponent in Russian.