Hong Kong champion Bublik on celebratory beers, 24 hours in Vegas and doomed major mission

After every win in Hong Kong last week, Alexander Bublik would retire to the same Japanese restaurant and savour a “beautiful pint of beer”.

Bublik’s drink on Sunday night would have tasted especially satisfying, after his victory over Lorenzo Musetti in the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open final elevated him to a career-high No 10 world ranking.

He has five tournament wins in seven months; a late-career surge the 28-year-old partially attributes to the birth of his son Vasily in August 2022.

“At the beginning, I didn’t feel that much, but once he started speaking and understanding, and being really attached to me, I realised that when I was leaving home he was missing me,” Bublik told the Post.

“And I miss him and my wife a lot. If I play well, I can go to fewer tournaments [because I’m not chasing ranking points] and have more time to dedicate to family, friends and myself, which is very important.”

Bublik said his wish to be on court more sparingly should not be mistaken for a lack of appetite for his sport.

Click here to read article