The first round of the Rolex Paris Masters witnessed another day of intense competition at the La Défense Arena on Monday. Among the matches played, Alexander Bublik, the 13th seed, advanced to the next round with a straight-sets victory over the Australian Alexei Popyrin. However, the match’s conclusion left spectators puzzled by what transpired between the two competitors at the net.
Alexander Bublik Beats Alexei Popyrin at Rolex Paris Masters
Bublik secured a commanding 6-4, 6-3 victory over the 26-year-old Popyrin in the opening round of the tournament. The match lasted one hour and 15 minutes, with the Kazakhstani demonstrating his superiority on the indoor hard court surface.
The 13th seed produced an impressive performance with 13 aces compared to Popyrin’s three. Bublik won 89% of his first serve points, while breaking Popyrin’s serve three times out of five opportunities, and saved three of four break points faced. The World No. 16 also hit 28 winners against just eight unforced errors.
Popyrin struggled throughout the contest, managing to hold serve only six times out of nine service games. The Australian won 74.3% of his first serve points but could only convert 40% of his second serve points, breaking Bublik’s serve only once out of five chances.
However, the match’s conclusion sparked controversy when Bublik walked straight to the umpire’s chair after winning match point, completely bypassing the traditional handshake with Popyrin at the net. The Kazakhstani shook hands with the umpire, collected his belongings, and waved to the crowd before leaving the court.
No handshake between Bublik and Popyrin in Paris. https://t.co/zsJe7iJnv5
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) October 27, 2025
The tension appeared to stem from an incident in the second set when Popyrin held an early break at 2-0. During a crucial rally at a break point, the Australian benefited from two fortunate net cords that helped him win the point. Customarily, players acknowledge such lucky breaks with an apologetic gesture, but Popyrin instead celebrated with a fist pump without offering any apology. Many observers believe this moment influenced Bublik’s decision to skip the handshake.​
Despite this setback, Bublik quickly recovered his composure and broke back immediately to lead 4-2 before closing out the match. The win improved his head-to-head record against Popyrin to 2-3, with his first win coming at the Madrid Open earlier this year.
With this victory, Bublik advanced to the second round, where he will face the winner of the match between French wildcard Corentin Moutet and American lucky loser Reilly Opelka. The Kazakhstani holds a 3-0 head-to-head record against Moutet.
