19-year-old Alexander Bublik has confirmed his intention to represent Kazakhstan in the future after changing his citizenship.
The announcement comes weeks after he reached his first ATP quarter-final at the Moscow Open. Currently ranked 214th in the world, Bublik has risen over 700 places in the Emirates rankings within the past 12 months. This season he has won a quartet of Futures titles and reached three Challenger quarter-finals prior to his Moscow breakthrough in October.
Bublik is the latest of a string of players to switch their Russian citizenship. Others that have opted to play for Kazakhstan include Yulia Putintseva, Yaroslava Shvedova and Mikhail Kukushkin. Furthermore, Daria Gavrilova opted to represent Australia after playing for Russia during her junior career.
Boris Sobkin, the coach of Mikhail Youzhny, has told Tass News that he believes Bublik’s decision to move countries in motivated by money and not politics.
“Bublik certainly is a promising player and, of course, he has a lot to tune up in the future at a high level.” Said Sobkin. “Whether it will get him there or not depends on many factors.”
“Everyone should understand that the change of sport nationality never comes free, which means it (Kazakhstan) offered some financial conditions, which in Russia would not be offered in the near future.
“He has no family in finance and now he has a transitional period, when money is needed: you need to pay yourself and pay the coach.”
Currently coached on the tour by his father, Bublik is playing in a Challenger event in his newly adopted Kazakhstan this week. In the first round on Tuesday, the 19-year-old eased his way past Belarusian qualifier Sergey Betov 6-4, 6-4. During his win over Betov, Bublik wowed the crowd with a duo of tricks.
А вот это было красиво! 👏👏👏 #tweener @AlexanderBublik pic.twitter.com/LRWIqg5eDN
— Misha Nos (@mishanos) 22 November 2016
