What can happen when two hotheads clash was recently witnessed at the Challenger tournament in Phoenix. The main protagonists: Alexander Bublik and Corentin Moutet.
Alexander Bublik and Corentin Moutet fought a duel last Friday. The Frenchman (ATP 76) took the opening set 6:2 and was also leading 3:1 in the second set when the Russian, who plays for Kazakhstan, turned up the heat. The tie-break had to decide the match. When Bublik (ATP 80), who was ranked 17th in the world not so long ago, was able to serve for the set, his opponent was not ready for the rally and said: "I'm not ready."
Bublik, who obviously suspected a tactical maneuver by his opponent, replied dryly: "I don't give a shit."
The 27-year-old refused to be put off and won the tie-break. In the third set, Bublik quickly pulled away to 5:1, although Moutet came back to 5:5, but in the end Bublik brought the match home 7:5.
Unsurprisingly, there was a frosty handshake at the net afterwards. Even the chair umpire and shortly afterwards the supervisor had to come to separate the two brawlers. Videos have now emerged on social media showing Bublik calling for a fist fight after the match: "Do you want to fight? The French boy is talking, but he doesn't want to fight. Come on - I'll meet you outside in ten minutes."
Moutet counters criticism
Moutet - no stranger to sadness himself - responded to the video and said on X: "People behave differently in front of and behind the camera (...)."
Coincidentally, Alexander Bublik was one of the protagonists in a funny promo video that was recently released. In it, he teaches tennis fans in the lesson "Keep cool and carry on: How to handle your racket in tough moments" on how to best break down your racquet. A task that Bublik has often demonstrated on court in the past.
