He almost quit tennis but is now a top 10 player for the first time ever

The ATP Tour is rapidly heading towards the Australian Open, with several players now involved in their final preparations for the Grand Slam.

The Adelaide International and the ASB Classic are up next on the ATP Tour, immediately followed by the Australian Open.

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They arrive following the conclusions of the Brisbane International, the Hong Kong Open, and the United Cup, an ATP and WTA mixed event.

Poland lifted the United Cup trophy, while Daniil Medvedev won in Brisbane and Alexander Bublik won in Hong Kong.

Alexander Bublik breaks ATP Top 10 after almost quitting tennis

Bublik defeated Lorenzo Musetti 7-6(7-2), 6-3 to clinch the trophy, which represents his ninth career ATP title.

The success has also fired him into the ATP Top 10 for the first time in his career, with Bublik representing the first Kazakhstani man to achieve the feat.

However, it quite simply may not have been for the 28-year-old, who last year said he threatened to quit tennis.

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Bublik said on TNT Sports in June 2025: “I was out of the rankings, I was 80 in the world.

“I was talking to my coach that I want to quit tennis because I can’t be 80th in the world, it feels disgraceful for me, and I hated it.”

Alexander Bublik achieves season goal in very first week of 2026

It’s been a remarkable turnaround for the new world number 10, who has earned $10,878,402 from his tennis career so far.

Speaking of his latest achievement, Bublik said: “The only goal for this season was to achieve the Top 10 and in the first week I have won the title and I am into the Top 10.

“If you had told me that last April I would never have believed you. But it is a pleasure and I hope to continue in the same way.”

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He has continued from where he left off in the 2025 season, during which the Kazakhstan ace secured four titles.

Bublik claimed a famous win over Jannik Sinner en route to his Halle title last season, representing one of only six defeats the Italian suffered in 2025.

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