Alexander Bublik has withdrawn from the Qatar Open following his run to the Rotterdam Open semi-finals.
With his run to the semi-finals, Bublik reached a landmark Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are yet to match: defeating Hubert Hurkacz, Jan-Lennard Struff and Jaume Munar before losing to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the last four.
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The Kazakhstani star had been expected to travel to Doha to take part in the Qatar Open. He was the third seed at the event and were set to face Pablo Carreno Busta in the first round.
However, Bublik has since withdrawn from the event, giving a ‘lucky loser’ the opportunity to play in the main draw.
Quentin Halys replaces Alexander Bublik at the Qatar Open
Halys, ranked 72nd on the ATP Tour, began his Qatar Open campaign by defeating Mert Alkaya in the first qualifying round.
The Frenchman was then knocked out by Great Britain’s Jan Choinski, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6.
It seemed Halys’ [pictured below] Qatar Open singles campaign had concluded. However, he has been offered a lifeline following Alexander Bublik’s withdrawal.
The Frenchman has taken Bublik’s place as a ‘lucky loser’: a player granted entry into the main draw despite losing in qualifying.
Bublik has also withdrawn from the doubles event. He was due to play alongside Juncheng Shang against Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic in the first round.
As for Halys, he is paired with Pierre Hughes Herbert. The pair have already won two qualifying rounds and will face Pablo Carreno Busta and Reda Bennani in the main draw.
Jannik Sinner’s big opportunity
Alexander Bublik’s withdrawal has opened up the draw significantly for Jannik Sinner.
What would have happened if Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played at the same time as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?
At number six, Jakub Mensik is now the highest-seeded player in Sinner’s half of the draw. Mensik is also the only seed left in Sinner’s half of the draw.
Of course, Mensik could pull off a shock by defeating Sinner, if they were to meet in the semi-finals: the Czech player is an excellent hard-court specialist who won his biggest title at the 2025 Miami Open.
Sinner, 23, has never faced Mensik on the ATP Tour.
