(VIDEO) Alexander Bublik snubs Popyrin handshake after straight-sets win in Paris

Alexander Bublik refused to shake hands with his opponent Alexei Popyrin after securing a 6-4, 6-3 victory at the Paris Masters. The 28-year-old Kazakh won the match without major complications, in a duel where no major controversies were apparent, but which ended without a handshake.

The world No. 16 once again showed his strong character in the first round in Paris. After securing the victory, he went directly to greet the umpire, skipping the handshake at the net with Popyrin. Subsequently, he quickly walked to the center of the court to greet the public.

The reason, it seems, is that Popyrin celebrated a couple of points he won thanks to a net cord, something that may not have sat well with the Kazakh. Although there were no major conflicts during the match, Popyrin and Bublik had already had a somewhat strained handshake at the Madrid Open (also won by Bublik in straight sets), where they exchanged some comments that are not audible in the broadcasts.

Thus, the head-to-head record stands at 2-2 – after the two wins by Bublik in their meetings this year. Previously, Popyrin had won in Doha 2024 and in the Singapore 2021 final, when both players were looking for their first professional title: the Australian in his first final, while the Kazakh came from losses in the three previous finals he had played.

Bublik arrived as the favorite for the match against Popyrin, amidst a great year that sees him as world No. 16 with 4 titles this season. The Kazakh once again imposed himself through service effectiveness, winning 89% of points with his first serve and totaling 13 aces – well above the 74% of first serve points won by Popyrin, who also achieved 3 aces.

Between two strong servers, there were not many break opportunities throughout the match. In the first set, Popyrin saved two break points against him in the 6th game and then wasted two break opportunities in the following game. Bublik maintained his composure and achieved the crucial break late in the set, taking a 6-4 lead in a set that had been evenly matched with both players imposing themselves on serve.

In the second set, things changed after Bublik secured an early break and quickly took the lead. The Kazakh had won 4 games in a row, and with a 2-0 advantage, he seemed headed for the victory. However, Popyrin reacted and recovered the break, managing to tie at 2-2. Nevertheless, the Kazakh took control of the match from there on, taking four of the next 5 games and closing out the victory 6-4, 6-3 after one hour and 15 minutes.

Bublik stretches his 2025 record to 34-20, having won four titles so far. The Kazakh is currently ranked No. 15 in the live ranking – which would potentially be his debut in the top-15 should he maintain his position by the end of the tournament. In the second round, he is still waiting to find out his opponent between the American Reilly Opelka (Lucky Loser) or the Frenchman Corentin Moutet.

It was precisely against Moutet that he had a heated altercation months ago, when, after a tense encounter, they were on the verge of coming to blows, with Bublik urging Moutet to fight and being separated by the umpire.