Why no one wants to play maverick Bublik on Wimbledon grass

• Former World No. 1 and 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev congratulated Alexander Bublik after losing in the final of Halle.

• Bublik, a 6’5″ player, is a player many players are hoping to take out a big name.

• Aleksandar Kovacevic, who defeated Bublik in Montpellier earlier this year, found himself confronted by a string of successful underarm serves and a bemused ball boy.

• Bublik is not the worst his rivals are fearing ahead of Wimbledon. He heads to London on the back of his best Major run and in possession of his second Halle title.

• At Roland-Garros, Bublik made history by becoming the first male player representing Kazakhstan to enter the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam singles event.

• He became the first man not named Alcaraz to beat World No. 1 Sinner in 49 matches.

• Bublik showed new maturity by serving big and ripping winners on his way to the final, ending his six previous meetings against Medvedev.

• The Halle triumph made many in the tennis world take notice, with Andy Roddick likening Bublik’s unconventional style to former World No. 8 Radek Stepanek’s.

• Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker liked what he saw from Bublik in the Halle final, calling it “great grass-court play”.

• Bublik will enter Wimbledon feeling completely different mentally to what he did a year ago. He climbed 15 places to World No. 30 after his Halle triumph.

• He has found a way to extract the most from his unorthodox game by using his serve to platform his variety, touch, and guile.