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Bublik breaks through: From No. 80 to Top 10 in less than a year

  • Posted: Jan 13, 2026

Alexander Bublik only needed the opening week of the 2026 season to achieve one of tennis’ most greatest honours: breaking into the top Top 10 of the PIF ATP Rankings.

The 28-year-old sealed his fate with a title run at the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open, where he defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the final. Bublik’s rise has been equal parts explosive and entertaining, underlining why he has become one of the ATP Tour’s most compelling figures.

In April of last year, he was ranked No. 80, but thanks to a dramatic shift in momentum and belief, he captured four ATP Tour titles across the season and finished 2025 at a career-high No. 11 and as the first alternate at the Nitto ATP Finals.

“The only goal for this season was to achieve the Top 10 and in the first week I have won the title and I am into the Top 10,” said Bublik, who is the first Kazakhstani to crack the Top 10. “If you had told me that last April I would never have believed you.”

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT BUBLIK’S RISE:
1) Early promise, delayed lift-off

Bublik announced his potential by winning his first ATP Tour title in 2022 and followed it with at least one trophy in each of the next two seasons. Yet the start of 2025 proved sobering, as by February he had fallen outside the world’s Top 50 for the first time in two years. That dip became fuel rather than a setback.

2) Roland Garros turning point

Arriving at the 2025 clay-court major as the World No. 62, Bublik produced some of the most complete tennis of his career to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. His five-set escape against Alex de Minaur and authoritative win over Jack Draper reshaped perceptions of his durability. Even a one-sided loss to Jannik Sinner provided a clear benchmark of what was required to go further.

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3) Halle shockwave

Two weeks after winning just six games against Sinner at Roland Garros, Bublik delivered a stunning upset on the Halle grass. The Kazakhstani struck 36 winners en route to his first Lexus ATP Head2Head win over a World No. 1, and he simultaneously snapped Sinner’s 66-match winning streak against players outside the Top 20 before going onto win his second trophy at the ATP 500 in Halle.

4) Clay-court credentials confirmed

Back-to-back titles in Gstaad and Kitzbuehel marked Bublik’s first trophies on clay. The success reinforced that his unpredictable game had evolved beyond serve-dominated conditions. With improved patience and point construction, Bublik proved he could thrive in extended rallies as well as short ones, backing up his statement run at Roland Garros earlier in the year.

5) How far can he go now?

The question surrounding Bublik is now about how high he can really surge. With a Top 10 breakthrough secured and a more complete skill set on display, the 28-year-old has positioned himself to remain a regular presence at the biggest events.

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Why Ruud has been 'studying' the likes of Sinner & Fonseca

  • Posted: Jan 13, 2026

Casper Ruud knows all too well that past success counts for little in a men’s game being rewritten in real time by fearless shotmakers.

The Norwegian has climbed as high as No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings and reached three major finals, but in the past two years, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have combined to win all eight Grand Slam titles. Meanwhile, a new wave — spearheaded by 19-year-old Joao Fonseca and 20-year-old Jakub Mensik — has continued to surge. Watching the evolution closely has given Ruud time to reflect on his own path.

“Seeing how the game has changed has made me realise that maybe I need to change my game a little,” Ruud said in a pre-tournament press conference in Auckland on Monday. “Trying to look for improvements, I have been studying a lot of the younger guys over the last weeks and months how my game needs to develop to handle their type of tennis.”

Ruud has built his career on heavy topspin, physical consistency and point construction, particularly from the forehand wing on clay. Yet against the game’s new elite, time is often taken away before those patterns can fully develop.

That challenge has been reflected in his Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Alcaraz and Sinner. The 27-year-old owns just one win from six meetings with Alcaraz — at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals — and he is still searching for his first victory against Sinner after four defeats. The margins, Ruud believes, are defined by firepower on both sides of the ball, not just one.

“The generation consists of Sinner as the oldest one, then you can go down to Fonseca, who is the youngest one. In that age group, between five and six years, they really rip the ball and play a different style of tennis,” explained 14-time ATP Tour champion Ruud. “That’s something I’ve needed to get used to.

“They don’t just have one big shot, they typically have two: both the forehand and backhand are great. If you look at Mensik, I lost against him last week at the United Cup. He has a great serve and hits the backhand hard from both sides. You see it more and more.”

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Ruud earned his first win of the 2026 season against home favourite Alex de Minaur at the United Cup in Sydney before falling to Mensik in a tight two-set match. The Norwegian now arrives at the ASB Classic in Auckland as the second seed, intent on applying those lessons immediately.

In a draw in which he could face Mensik again in the semi-finals, Ruud’s study sessions may soon turn into reality, and it could reveal just how his evolving game can match up in a new ATP Tour era.

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How doubles stardom has helped Vavassori shine in singles

  • Posted: Jan 13, 2026

Andrea Vavassori walked to the net to shake hands Tuesday after winning a first-round match at the Adelaide International. That in itself is not surprising.

What might pique fans’ attention is that it was not a doubles match. Vavassori, who was an alternate into the singles qualifying draw, earned his way into the main draw and then upset the No. 41 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Gabriel Diallo.

“Today was a great match. It’s confidence for me because Gabriel is an unbelievable player,” Vavassori told ATPTour.com. “I saw him playing many times last year. He is one of the players that the top players don’t want to play because with his serve and forehand, he’s very dangerous.”

Many will start saying that about Vavassori, too. The 30-year-old is known for his doubles success, partnering Simone Bolelli to the past two editions of the Nitto ATP Finals and three major men’s doubles finals, including at the 2024 and 2025 Australian Opens.

But the Italian is showing in Adelaide that he is a force to be reckoned with on the singles court, too, even if he learned of his entry in the draw at the last moment.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect it because I was practising a lot also in the gym the day before,” Vavassori said. “I found out last minute. The supervisor advised me 10 minutes before the end of the sign-in [period for qualifying].”

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Vavassori is World No. 336, but has climbed as high as No. 128 in 2023. In the past two years, he has played Carlos Alcaraz twice and Jannik Sinner once, so he has plenty of experience on the big stage. The winner of 11 tour-level singles matches has prepared for such moments, too.

“I practised a lot during the preseason also in singles because we don’t have so many players also to practise doubles in my hometown, and I think practicing singles helps me become a better player overall,” Vavassori said. “It’s not about singles, doubles, mixed doubles, but it’s about becoming a better player. I’m enjoying playing tennis every time I can. I’m very competitive, so when I go on the court, I try to give my best always.”

Vavassori would like to play more singles if given the opportunity, but it is not a simple situation. He is No. 14 in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings, allowing him to play the biggest tournaments in the world, for which he does not often earn a spot in singles.

That is why he enjoys the opportunity to compete like he is this week in Adelaide. The Torino native actually believes he is “much better” in singles now than was the case when it was his primary focus.

“In doubles you are also handling the pressure in the big moments on big courts,” Vavassori said. “That helped me become a better player overall. I think I’m practising the right way. I’m understanding more my game. I think I have a different style of play [compared to other] players. Maybe I try to go more to the net. We don’t see much of this type of play any more.

“I think that the best thing doubles did for me is to become a better player in pressure moments because when you play Grand Slam finals in doubles or mixed doubles, I think the pressure is there. It’s helped me to become a better player in situations. So today, maybe two, three opportunities I played in a good way.”

Vavassori hopes that continues, starting with his second-round match Wednesday against home favourite Aleksandar Vukic and his doubles match later in the day with Bolelli.

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Vukic stuns revitalised Tsitsipas with 'awesome' Adelaide win

  • Posted: Jan 13, 2026

Aleksandar Vukic halted Stefanos Tsitsipas’ promising start to 2026 in style on Tuesday night at the Adelaide International, where he produced a poised and timely performance to prevail 7-6(3), 7-6(5).

Tsitsipas went 3-0 at the United Cup last week and appeared revitalised following a turbulent 2025 season during which he fell out of the Top 20 for the first time since 2018. Yet Vukic, who came through qualifying at his home ATP 250, met the challenge head-on, feeding off a lively atmosphere to level their Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 1-1.

“I was talking to my team today [about how] I am just in awe of this stadium and the cricket ground that’s just here,” Vukic said of the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre. “This centre court is very special, and it’s pretty packed. I appreciate the support, everyone helping me out tonight. It was an awesome win for me.”

The Australian saved all four break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and was clinical when it mattered most. In the second-set tie-break, Vukic reeled off six of the final eight points from 1/3 down to seal the one-hour, 53-minute triumph — his 21st over a Top 50 opponent.

Vukic, the No. 87 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, will next face doubles star Andrea Vavassori, who also came through qualifying to upset Gabriel Diallo 6-3, 7-6(4). Last year, Vavassori won the Adelaide doubles title with partner Simone Bolelli and is a two-time Nitto ATP Finals competitor.

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Earlier, Tomas Machac downed Australian wild card James Duckworth 6-3, 6-3 for his first tour-level win since Shanghai in October. The eighth seed next meets qualifier Quentin Halys, who beat lucky loser Jacob Fearnley 6-3, 6-4.

In an all-Australian wild-card clash, Rinky Hijikata defeated Tristan Schoolkate 6-4, 6-4 to set up a second-round encounter with top seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

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What were the Australian Open qualifying results on Tuesday?

  • Posted: Jan 13, 2026

Alexander Blockx and Rafael Jodar were among the players to advance to the second round of Australian Open qualifying on Tuesday, continuing their strong rises.

Both Blockx and Jodar competed at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Jeddah last month. The 20-year-old Blockx, who won the 2023 Australian Open boys’ title, defeated Marco Cecchinato 6-3, 6-4 in Melbourne to extend his winning streak at all levels to six matches.

The Belgian cracked the Top 100 on Monday following his triumph at the Canberra Challenger, where he downed Jodar in the final. Jodar, who spent two years at the University of Virginia before turning pro last month, defeated Australian wild card Li Tu 6-2, 6-1.

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Elsewhere in qualifying, 17-year-old Cruz Hewitt, son of former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Lleyton Hewitt, fell to three-time Challenger champion Michael Zheng 6-3, 6-3. Mackenzie McDonald, who defeated Rafael Nadal at the 2023 Australian Open, rallied past Dmitry Popko 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5.

Federico Cina, 18, is aiming to reach the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2026 and got his season up and running with an impressive 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3 over former World No. 31 Lloyd Harris.

Leandro Riedi also progressed, knocking out 11th seed Jan Choinski 6-3, 6-4. Riedi’s win marked another positive step in his return from undergoing two surgeries across the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The Swiss player reached the fourth round at the US Open last year as the World No. 435.

View all of the Australian Open results here.

The Australian Open main draw begins Sunday, with two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner and World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz headlining the hard-court major.

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Opelka & his 'tennis geniuses': former Isner coach Boynton joins team

  • Posted: Jan 13, 2026

For more than three years, Craig Boynton coached John Isner, the former No. 8 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. Now, the American is working with the player most commonly compared to Isner: 6’11” Reilly Opelka.

Opelka has long learned from former World No. 7 Jay Berger, who remains a key part of his team. But he will now travel with Boynton, who most recently developed Hubert Hurkacz into a Top-10 player.

“He’s one of the best coaches in the world and I think between him and Jay Berger, I’m incredibly lucky,” Opelka told ATPTour.com. “These are just great guys, great people, smart, tennis geniuses, tennis experts.”

It is important to note that despite both Isner and Opelka ranking among the very best servers in history, they are not clones. Perhaps their greatest similarity is that they jokingly refer to themselves as “servebots”.

“They’re two different people. Ultimately, every tennis player here has the same goal and everybody has different skill sets,” Boynton said. “Obviously, people are going to look at the similarities between Reilly and John, but they are different players.

“Yes, they have some similarities, but they’re different in just about every way. They’re just different people, they’re different players, ultimately trying to do the same thing, but doing it in different ways.”

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Last week in his first tournament of the season, Opelka obliterated 44 aces, the most he has ever hit in a three-set match on the ATP Tour. The problem was that the 28-year-old lost a final-set tie-break to Kamil Majchrzak.

That made his victory Monday against Alexei Popyrin at the Adelaide International even sweeter. The four-time ATP Tour titlist, who missed nearly two years after hip and wrist surgeries, is excited to kickstart his year.

“Especially after last week I had a really, really rough loss that could linger,” Opelka said. “[That is] something you don’t get over quickly. Maybe 10 years it takes to get over one of those. So, happy that I got a win.”

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