Bublik Shocks Draper at French Open, Becomes First Kazakh Man to Reach Grand Slam Quarter-Final

Bublik Makes Kazakh History with Electrifying French Open Upset

Every tennis fan expects surprises during the Grand Slams, but Alexander Bublik’s victory over Jack Draper in the fourth round of the 2025 French Open was something special. Battling on the clay of Roland Garros, Bublik came from behind to win 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. More than just another match, this result pushed Bublik where no Kazakh man had gone before: a Grand Slam quarter-final.

The story started with Draper flexing his muscles as the favorite. At fifth seed, expectations were high. He took the first set 7-5, using his classic baseline power and tight serves, and most in the crowd guessed Bublik might buckle early. But Bublik has always played by his own rules. His game isn’t about grinding rallies but about keeping opponents uncomfortable—constant tweaks, unexpected shots, and, when least expected, a drop shot that throws off any rhythm.

Bublik’s drop shots were the secret sauce in Paris. He used them over and over, breaking up Draper’s rhythm and luring the Briton from the baseline. “Sometimes you have to be crazy on the court,” Bublik grinned when asked about his constant mixing. Draper, for all his muscle and athleticism, seemed stuck for answers. He later admitted in press: “I couldn’t adapt. He made me look flat-footed.”

Once Bublik leveled the match with a 6-3 second set, you could sense a shift. The crowd started getting into it each time he pulled off another audacious trick. Draper, rattled, began mishitting forehands and missing first serves. Set three spiraled quickly as Bublik asserted himself with laser-like serving and a cheeky between-the-legs winner for good measure. Suddenly, the unseeded Kazakh had bagged four games straight and ran away with the set 6-2.

Draper tried to rally in the fourth—throwing everything he had at Bublik’s game, but the momentum never swung. Bublik’s energy, combined with the variety and power of his shots, proved too much. Draper couldn’t stop the roll, and Bublik finished it off, slamming a final ace and dropping to his knees in tears. The moment wasn’t lost on anyone in the stadium. For Bublik, who’s been called erratic and inconsistent in the past, this night showed he could string it together when it mattered most.

There’s something wild and raw about Bublik’s journey to this point. He’s never been the model of smooth progress—his previous Grand Slam runs ended in early exits and flashes of brilliance followed by collapses. But Paris brought out something new. Maybe it was the crowd, maybe the surface, or maybe the pressure of facing a top 5 seed. Whatever it was, Bublik’s skill and nerves finally matched up. His win didn’t just put him a round further than ever before; it put Kazakhstan’s men’s tennis on the map in a way it’s never been.

What’s Next For Bublik?

With the dust still settling, Bublik now has to regroup quickly. His next opponent will be either Jannik Sinner—one of the circuit’s most reliable new stars—or the big-hitting Andrey Rublev. Both offer very different challenges, but if Bublik’s game remains this sharp and unpredictable, he could be the headache nobody in the draw wants to deal with.

For now, though, it's hard to talk about the 2025 French Open without mentioning Bublik. The images of him, kneeling with emotion after his final ace, will stick in the minds of tennis fans everywhere. This kind of breakthrough isn’t just about tactics or stats—it's about grit, timing, and believing you can finally break through the ceiling, no matter what the odds-makers said at the start of the fortnight.