alexander bublik , this king of the ATP circuit punchline, struck again at the 2025 US Open. Asked about doubles, the Kazakh took out the sprayer... and he didn't spare padel in the process.

In an interview with the media Clay (translated from an original version published on bounces), the Kazakh did not mince his words when discussing the place of the  double  in tennis… and by associating the  paddle  and the  pickleball  to secondary disciplines.

“Doubles is not real tennis”

A Roland-Garros doubles finalist in 2021 (yes, he did it), Bublik doesn't exactly keep this memory high on his list of achievements. For him, doubles is mainly "for those who can't play singles." And in his very personal hierarchy, once you can't hold on in singles anymore, you move on to doubles... then onto padel or pickleball. Nice for the career transition!

“A padel title? It’s worthless.”

To drive the point home, Bublik compared his final in Grand Chelem to… a padel title. “I am a finalist in Grand Chelem So what? I don't even know where the trophy is. It's useless. It's like being a padel champion." There, it's said. Suffice to say, padel fans will appreciate it.

Bulbik's TOP 4

Come on, just for you, the TOP 4 of his punchlines:

"Sometimes doubles bores you because, in a way, it's not real tennis. It's for those who can't play singles: they play doubles and then move on to padel or pickleball."

“I play doubles as practice, to work on my returns or to share a moment with someone I like. But to take it as a real competition? Other than for the money, if someone needs extra income, I don’t see the point. I’m a finalist in Grand Chelem So what? I don't even know where that trophy is. It's useless. It's like being a padel champion.

"I'm better than half of the doubles specialists, who have never reached a final Grand Chelem. Imagine if I had won it! I would have told them, 'Guys, you don't even know how to play tennis.'"

"When someone says to me, 'I'm a doubles player.' You have a final of Grand Chelem ? No. Me, yes. So who's the real doubles player? Me. In the end, it's simple: if you can't play singles, you play doubles; if you can't play doubles, you switch to padel.

The reality is a little different...

Except that between Bublik's dig and what's really happening, there's a world of difference. Padel is exploding everywhere, clubs are opening every week, ex-tennis champions like Ferrero, Murray, and Robben (yes, the former Bayern winger!) are getting into it, and a structured world circuit has been established. In short, "useless" isn't exactly the right word for padel in 2025.

Arjen Robben qualifies for an international main draw... in padel!

Ultimately, this isn't a surprise. Bublik loves to provoke, make people laugh, and shake things up. This outing is just one more in his style: a mix of unabashed contempt and locker room jokes.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

On the same subject

Tags