Aksel Kryhlmand
It’s a special one, I had never beaten the No. 1 in the world, that’s an accomplishment,” Bublik said
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner suffered a surprise defeat at the Halle Open on Thursday, falling in three sets to Alexander Bublik, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the second round of the ATP 500 grass-court tournament.
The upset marks a stunning early exit for the top seed and defending champion, who was making his first appearance since his epic five-set loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final earlier this month.
Sinner, a three-time Grand Slam winner, had opened his Halle campaign with a solid straight-sets win over Yannick Hanfmann, but was undone by the unpredictable and powerful Bublik, who unleashed 36 winners and 15 aces in a statement performance.
It’s a special one, I had never beaten the No. 1 in the world, that’s an accomplishment,” Bublik said in his post-match interview. “I just kept serving, kept putting him in uncomfortable positions and it worked well.
The Kazakh player, ranked 45th in the world, was also the 2023 Halle champion, and his familiarity with the surface clearly showed as he mixed booming serves with deft drop shots and slices to disrupt Sinner’s rhythm.
Bublik will next face Tomas Machac in the quarterfinals, looking to continue his impressive grass-court form ahead of Wimbledon.
Zverev Survives
Also advancing on Thursday was No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev, who edged past Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) in a tightly contested match.
Zverev rebounded after a shaky first set to book his spot in the final eight, where he remains one of the favorites following Sinner’s departure.
The Halle Open, a key warm-up for Wimbledon, now sees an open path for lower-seeded contenders and former champions alike, with the tournament poised for an unpredictable finish.