Photo credit: EFG Swiss Open Gstaad Facebook
Alexander Bublik unleashed fire and finesse to capture his first career clay-court championship in Gstaad.
Bublik blasted 13 aces and dabbed disarming drop shots defeating Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in today’s Swiss Open Gstaad final.
Bublik cracked 47 winners—26 more than Cerundolo—and lifted his level in the final set to find the finish line.
It is Bublik’s sixth career championship, including his second title of the 2025 season. Bublik turned championship Sunday into Mother’s Day dedicating this clay crown to his mom.
“It’s my sixth title and I’ve played the greats of the game, but this final I will always remember as the toughest I’ve played,” Bublik said. “It was a real pleasure. It’s an amazing spot. I’m really happy to be standing here as a winner.
“This one goes to my mother. I know you’re watching, this one is for you.”
Last month, Bublik beat world No. 1Jannik Sinner en route to the Halle title on grass. Bublik is now the 14th active man on the ATP Tour to win tournament titles on all surfaces.
It’s a historic title run for Bublik, who is the second man from Kazakhstan to win an ATP Tour title on clay coming 15 years after Andrey Golubev defeated Austrian Jurgen Melzer to win 2010 Hamburg.
The left-handed Cerundolo, who toppled top-seeded Casper Ruud in Friday’s quarterfinals for his biggest career win by ranking, returns to the Top 100 for the first time since October, 2023. Cerundolo leaps 28 spots to No. 81 in the ATP live rankings.
“Sasha, congrats for the title,” Cerundolo said. “You’ve had an amazing season. So congrats to you and your team.”
The second-seeded Bublik, who improved to 6-7 in career finals, won 20 of 28 net points, including some timely serve-and-volleys.
In a nervy start, the pair traded breaks to open. Bublik broke at 30 to take the opening set.
In the second set, Cerundolo started to mix his spins more and tried to take the net away from Bublik at times.
Deadlocked at 4-all in the second set, Bublik sprayed a series of forehand errors essentially breaking himself as Cerundolo surged ahead for 5-4.
The Argentinean fired a forehand into the corner to end the second set and force a decider.
In the final set, Bublik served first and applied scoreboard pressure in the sixth game. When Cerundolo spun a forehand beyond the baseline, Bublike broke for 4-2.
Pushed to deuce in the next game, Bublik whipped the wide serve to the lefty’s forehand for game point. Pouncing on a short ball, Bublik snapped a bounce smash to back up the break for 5-2.
Credit Cerundolo for saving a match point to hold for 3-5.
Serving for the title, Bublik dipped a pair of drop shots then went to the wide serve again for triple match point. Slashing a serve winner down the T, Bublik closed his first clay-court championship in two hours, seven minutes.