"They say I beat my wife... Novak Djokovic sits on the beach & they tell him he is not helping children"- Alexander Bublik on online criticism
Alexander Bublik is confounded by the negative spotlight on athletes; he recently talked about how every move of theirs is monitored and commented on in social media circles.
During a recent interview with Championat, the Kazakh opined that it was natural for players to let out their emotions at times, especially when they are angry in the moment.
Bubik himself came under criticism earlier this year during the Libema Open, where he was heard going on an allegedly homophobic tirade. Before that, he came under fire for breaking not one but three racquets at Montpellier. Another incident that garnered him criticism was at the US Open, where he spewed allegedly offensive comments at Dominic Thiem.
The World No. 32, however, does not think he deserves to be judged based solely on these moments. He defended himself by saying that he was just someone who said everything that came to their mind, and that 30 seconds of a person's life was not enough to decide their character.
Comments on the internet, however, do not abide by those rules, as Bublik pointed out. The 26-year-old is surprised at how many fans think he even beats his wife, extrapolating from the fact that he breaks his rackets in anger on the court.
"All these stories about dogs, 's-Hertogenbosch and rackets - it's me who is angry at the moment. And especially if you are the kind of person from whom they want you to do this, people expect this, and so it turns out. Then they even think that I broke six rackets in the locker room, or they say that I beat my wife because I break rackets," Alexander Bublik said.
"I’m telling you absolutely honestly: they even wrote to my manager that I needed psychological help. Because, you see, in the moment I say something to myself for a minute: five phrases in two hours of the match. This is just 30 seconds of my life, in which, unfortunately, I said everything I think about what is happening," he added.
Alexander Bublik went on to argue that all his controversial moments came from a place of sincerity. He said he could not understand why all his actions were watched so keenly by fans, as if he were Novak Djokovic or Nick Kyrgios.
Bublik pointed out how even Djokovic was not lucky enough to escape negative comments from fans. The Kazakh cited an incident where he saw comments about how the Serb was not taking photos with children when all he did was relax by himself at a beach.
"And then, not even everything... In 's-Hertogenbosch I said everything when I sat and told it. But I didn’t even know there was such a loud [microphone]. I talked to myself, because I think every person has a moment when he talks to himself - and he is sincere," Bublik said.
"In the moment I was sincere with myself, because I train all day long and can’t get into the court, you know. Unfortunately, every one of my outbursts [is monitored], as if we are talking about Nick or Novak. Novak Djokovic sits on the beach, and they tell him that he is not helping the children because he did not take a photo with them," he added.
Alexander Bublik: "3 seconds at the US Open turned into the biggest news story in tennis, all the people who weren't even asked spoke up"
Alexander Bublik then touched on the US Open incident in particular, lamenting how it became the biggest news story in tennis. The Kazakh also revealed that the fine given to him at Flushing Meadows was lower than what he received at the Libema Open, because of the difference in policies of the two tournaments.
"These are some 10 minutes of my life, which have become the property of the whole world and have been translated into all possible languages of the world. Three seconds at the US Open turned into the biggest news story in tennis: all the people who weren't even asked spoke up. As well as those that no one knows about," Alexander Bublik said.
"Although for the US Open I received a fine five times less than for 's-Hertogenbosch. They didn't give me anything at all for the rackets. They have their own rules: they think it’s bad and give a fine," he added.