Alexander Bublik’s tennis career has been marked by contrasting performances. Over the past two years, he has reached six ATP Tour finals but managed to secure victories in only two of them. Additionally, he has encountered difficulties progressing beyond the third round in any Grand Slam tournament. Despite his challenges, he entered the European Open with a world ranking of 36, where he displayed remarkable spirit and delivered a masterful performance with his serves, ultimately clinching victory in the final held in Antwerp.
The 26-year-old Kazakh tennis star triumphed over Frenchman Arthur Fils, securing his second tour title of the season and marking his third career tour win. Furthermore, he walked away with a prize money purse of $108,797.
Alexander Bublik beats Arthur Fils to win European Open 2023
Alexander Bublik, the third seed, secured victory over Arthur Fils with a score of 6-4 in Antwerp, earning him the title of the 2023 European Open champion. Bublik’s exceptional performance included saving all three break points he faced, and this win improved his ATP Tour finals record to 3-6.
“I was pretty much serving all match,” said Arthur Bublik in his on-court interview. “I told Arthur I was very lucky to beat him in a final before he becomes the next big thing. That was the only option I had, and I executed it well.”
“Honestly, when we won the second title, I [said to my coach], ‘Maybe that’s it, maybe we will never win another one’,” joked Alexander Bublik. “It was the greatest feeling ever, so being here again, winning another title, it means the world to me.”
Alexander Bublik maintained his rhythm throughout the week at the European Open in Antwerp 2023. The 26-year-old dropped just one out of 37 points, propelling him to a 75-minute victory against Arthur Fils. Bublik lifted the European Open ATP 250 trophy, having won 136 of 148 points behind his first serve during his impressive run. Notably, Arthur Fils had knocked out Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals of the same tournament.
The Kazakh player had previously secured his first ATP title on indoor hard courts in Montpellier, France, in 2022. In June of the same season, Bublik also emerged victorious in Halle, capturing a grass-court ATP 500 trophy. Alexander Bublik’s triumph in Antwerp will see him rise six spots to No. 30 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, just five spots shy of his career-high.
Despite his defeat, Arthur Fils remains an almost-certain qualifier for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin. The 19-year-old currently stands fifth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race, trailing Lorenzo Musetti in fourth place by just 207 points.
How much did Alexander Bublik make winning European Open 2023?
The European Open in Antwerp, which was first held in 2016, is the only tour-level tournament held on Belgian soil. The tournament always presents an excellent opportunity for players to grab some last-minute ranking points for the ATP Finals in Turin.
Also, the 2023 edition of the European Open prize money totaled $713,101, or 3.9% more compared to last year’s event. Alexander Bublik winning the European title meant that he would bag $108,797, a 3.9% increase compared to the amount Felix Auger-Aliassime, the 2022 champion received.
Arthur Fils, will get a ccheckof $63,456, a 3.8% increase compared to twelve months ago. Those percentage increases are mirrored across the entirety of the draw. The semifinalist received $37,308 while players who crashed out in round one received $7,672, a 4,0% increase from last year.
