"I don’t like the way my son behaves because he saw me" - Alexander Bublik makes brutally honest admission about his controversial on-court conduct

Kazakh tennis star Alexander Bublik is becoming mindful about his on-court conduct now that his son, Vasily, who was born on August 16, 2022, is growing up.

During his appearance on Tennis Channel before the Paris Masters tournament, Bublik said he is already starting to note some patterns of his on-court conduct being noticed and inherited by his son. According to Bublik, this is a signal that he needs to stop doing and instead set a good example for his son to follow.

"For me, it’s more about natural changes that came into my life because, as a father, my son is growing up," Bublik said (3:43). "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."

During the interview, Alexander Bublik, known for his unpredictable flair on the ATP tour and occasional controversial outbursts, said that maturity is coming naturally to him, and that's what's helping him at this stage of his career.

"I mean, we have to grow up. We have to mature in a way, it comes naturally," Bublik said. "I think the best things that happen to a human being happen naturally. You don’t need to force yourself or break yourself to prove -- even to yourself -- that you’re capable of something or that you need to change this or that."

Just when this interview came out, Alexander Bublik became part of another controversial incident.

Alexander Bublik refuses to shake hands with Alexei Popyrin

Alexander Bublik started his Paris Masters campaign with a straight-sets win against Alexei Popyrin. However, the No. 13 seed in Paris was unhappy with Popyrin's conduct during the match and, as a result, he refused to shake hands with the Australian.

Bublik walked past Popyrin after the match. He first shook hands with the chair umpire, then collected his belongings and raised his arms in celebration.

The crowd was displeased with such an unwelcoming post-match gesture, but Bublik explained his actions in the interview.

"Well, precisely because if someone hangs two ropes and doesn't apologize, but celebrates as if they've won something," Bublik said after the match. "I just don't see anything wrong with that. I think any reasonable person would have done the same in my place, that is, if I had ever done the same. They can celebrate and then apologize.

"I'm not the kind of person to cling to that, but they apologize for it. There's a code, there's some kind of etiquette. If someone doesn't adhere to it, why should I adhere to another?"

Bublik is not compromising with the kind of etiquette one needs to follow on the court.