Boris Becker gives his reaction to Alexander Bublik wanting to 'punish' Paris Masters opponent Corentin Moutet amid beef

Boris Becker reacted to Alexander Bublik mocking Corentin Moutet with a past reference after defeating him in the Round of 32 at the Paris Masters. Bublik previously received a word of caution from his opponent, who promised to defeat the Russian-born Kazakh for his demeanor.

Alexander Bublik, the current No. 1 from Kazakhstan, had a decent season, becoming the first player from Kazakhstan to reach a Grand Slam singles quarterfinal at the French Open. He won four titles this year, joining Carlos Alcaraz as one of only two men to win four or more trophies this season.

Amid his Paris Masters campaign, Bublik received criticisms from his Round of 32 opponent, Corentin Moutet, who expressed displeasure about the Kazakh's antics, saying:

"We know he is very provocative with the other players, disrespects other tennis players. We have had disagreements in the past because he does not represent my values as an athlete. I will be super motivated to send him home with the help of the crowd."

Cut to the match, Bublik maintained consistency, being dominant on the serves. Moutet tried to make it through, especially in the second set, but couldn't convert enough break points to win the round. After the victory, the Kazakh mocked Moutet for his remarks, saying that his opponent could easily take a taxi home after the loss.

"Well obviously he spoke too much before the match. He spoke too much. I just have to punish him. I have no other option. Can you explain the lens signing? He said he would do everything to send me home. So it’s nice that he lives in Paris and it’s not too far with the taxi."

Former player and analyst Boris Becker reacted to Bublik’s balance of honesty and sarcasm, writing:

"Refreshing honesty and sarcasm at the same time …."

Alexander Bublik will face Taylor Fritz in the Round of 16 in the Paris Masters.

Alexander Bublik promised to be mindful of his on-court conduct to set a good example for his son

Bublik at the 2025 US Open - Day 7 - Source: Getty

Alexander Bublik and his wife, Tatiyana Bublik, welcomed their son, Vasily, in 2022. The three-year-old has already started picking up his father’s habits, such as throwing a racket. The Kazakh has often made headlines for losing his composure in tense situations, but he recently spoke about changing himself for the sake of his son.

"For me, it’s more about natural changes that came into my life because, as a father, my son is growing up. Maybe sometimes I think I don’t like the way he behaves because he saw me, for example, throw a racket on court -- and then he did the same. So maybe this all stacks up, and you’re like, okay, I won’t do that anymore," he said. (via Tennis Channel; 3:43)

Bublik was the doubles runner-up at the 2021 French Open and reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 16.

Edited by Agnijeeta Majumder