Why Alexander Bublik 'had to punish' Corentin Moutet at Paris Masters in simmering rivalry - 'He spoke too much before the match'
Published 30/10/2025 at 10:22 GMT
Alexander Bublik said he "had to punish" Corentin Moutet after the Frenchman "spoke too much" ahead of their meeting at the Paris Masters on Wednesday. Moutet had said before the match that he wanted to "send Bublik home", but the Kazakhstani player won in straight sets and wrote on a camera lens: "On the way home." The pair have history, with a tense meeting in Arizona earlier this year.
Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik celebrates after winning against France's Corentin Moutet following their men's singles match
Image credit: Getty Images
Alexander Bublik said Corentin Moutet "spoke too much before the match" after beating the Frenchman in straight sets at the Paris Masters on Wednesday.
Ahead of the match, Moutet said he wanted to "send Bublik home," with the pair renewing their rivalry following a tense Phoenix Challenger meeting in March.
Following his 6-3 7-5 victory on Wednesday, which booked his spot in the last 16 in Paris, Bublik signed a camera lens, with the message: "On the way home".
Speaking afterwards, the Kazakhstani player said: "Well obviously he spoke too much before the match, he spoke too much. I just had to punish him. I had no other option.
"He said he will do everything to send me home, so it’s nice that he lives in Paris, and it’s not too far in the taxi."
Moutet corrected his opponent in his post-match press conference, explaining that he now lives in Dubai, while looking to play down talks of tension between them.
"I don’t think it’s personal coming from him," Moutet said, in quotes reported by L'equipe. "He is like that with many players. He likes to make fun of players when he plays against them."
"You know, there are people who talk, and people who do. I think he is part of the first category.
"There’s no point in getting into a verbal clash - I’m not into that. I know the real person he is, beyond the character he shows through the media, so there’s no point in talking behind a microphone."
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The comments surrounding Wednesday’s match came following a heated contest between the players at the Phoenix Challenger in March.
With Bublik preparing to serve for the match, Moutet shouted down the court: "I’m not ready." The Kazakhstani player responded: "I don’t give a s***."
Bublik wrapped up the match moments later, leading to a tense handshake between the pair, with the umpire and a tournament official stepping in to diffuse the verbal spat.
Following his defeat in Paris, Moutet explained why he feels he is "not in the same category" as Bublik as a tennis player.
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Alexander Bublik and Corentin Moutet shake hands
Image credit: Getty Images
"He's not the same type of player, he's 20 centimetres taller than me, he serves at 220 [km/h] on his first serve," Moutet said.
"We're not in the same category. When you serve like that, obviously you can afford to try some slightly crazy things.
"His strength is clearly his serve. He's also an aggressive player, a good tennis player. Well done to him, he was the better player."
Bublik will face world No. 4 Taylor Fritz on Thursday for a spot in the quarter-finals in Paris, as he looks to cap off his finest season to date - having already accumulated four titles in 2025.
He has won silverware in Hangzhou, Kitzbuhel, Gstaad and Halle, while also making the quarter-finals of the French Open.
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