Alexander Bublik talks Jakub Mensik's talent to chair umpire

Madrid

'Remember when tennis was easy?' Bublik laments Mensik's talent to chair umpire

Kazakhstani fell to #NextGenATP Mensik in straight sets in Madrid

Ion Alcoba Beitia Alexander Bublik during his fourth-round defeat to Jakub Mensik on Tuesday in Madrid. By ATP Staff

Can someone please take Alexander Bublik back to the good old days?

The Kazakhstani delivered indirect praise of Jakub Mensik in typically humorous fashion on Tuesday during a conversation with chair umpire Mohamed Layani at the Mutua Madrid Open. During his fourth-round match against Mensik, which the #NextGenATP Czech ultimately won 6-3, 6-2, Bublik turned to Layani during a changeover.

“Mohamed, remember when tennis was easy? Like five years ago it was super easy to play tennis,” said the four-time ATP Tour champion Bublik. “A bunch of random people in the Top 50, barely moving. Now this guy is not even Top 5, not even Top 10. What is that?”

Tuesday’s straight-sets victory at the ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid was the latest impressive performance in a breakout 2025 for Mensik. The 19-year-old defeated Novak Djokovic to lift his maiden tour-level title in March in Miami, and he is now up to No. 20 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. If you ask Bublik, he should already be in the Top 10 at the very least.

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