Top 10 Quotes of 2021: Alexander Bublik lauds “not human” Jannik Sinner in Miami

3. "You're not human"

Few can smack a serve or turn a phrase faster than Alexander “Sasha” Bublik, who continued an impressive surge up the rankings without losing his sense of humor—or his incisive analysis of his competition.

The 24-year-old Kazakh earned a career-high ranking of No. 34 but not before barreling into the Miami Open quarterfinals, his first on the Masters 1000. It was there that he took on Italian teenager Jannik Sinner, and though Bublik led by breaks in both sets, he found himself outfoxed for a 7-6 (5), 6-4 defeat, giving it up to the prodigy at net.

You’re not human...you’re 15 years old and you play like this? Good job! Alexander Bublik

“You’re not human,” he exclaimed as they shook hands. “You’re 15 years old and you play like this? Good job!”

Sinner went on to reach the finals while Bublik. Who has also described US Open champion Daniil Medvedev as “God…descended from above”, explained the exchange in press.

"I asked him if he's a human or not, because for me, it's very surprising that a guy at his age has this mental toughness that many, many other players don't have,” Bublik said. “I called him a robot couple of times during the match, but I do it in a very sincere way because he's really, really a great player."

Bublik’s radical honesty tour took him to another Masters quarterfinal in Madrid and through a surprising run to the Roland Garros men’s doubles final, where he joked with umpire Mariana Veljovic during the coin toss.

“It’s great to see you here…because I wasn't even supposed to be here! This is a comic situation.”

Here’s to another season of comic candor from Sasha Bublik in 2022.