Alexander Bublik surprised the tennis world by displaying an unprecedented level of consistency, winning four ATP titles in a row across three different surfaces, in Halle, Gstaad, Kitzbühel, and Hangzhou. However, just as quickly, he reverted to his unpredictable ways, suffering back-to-back opening-round losses in Beijing and at the Shanghai Masters.
The big-serving Kazakh has the weapons to produce another winning run on indoor hard courts for the remainder of the season, but whether he has the motivation to sustain that level remains to be seen. Regardless of what happens in the coming weeks, this has already been a hugely successful season. A poor start to the year has been more than compensated by some extraordinary results in the second half, which have earned him a career-high ranking of No. 16.
Bublik is one of the few active players with over 100 wins on indoor hard courts, which comes as no surprise given his powerful serve and sharp net skills. However, he has yet to make an impact on this surface in 2025, having lost two of his four matches so far. Moreover, he remains winless in Vienna, as his only previous appearance here in 2019 ended with a first-round exit.
Like Alexander Bublik, Alejandro Tabilo also endured a poor start to the season that cost him heavily, dropping him out of the top 100 in the rankings. Off-court disputes and fitness issues made things even more difficult for the Chilean, leaving him in a tough spot. Since then, however, he has bounced back impressively, winning the title in Chengdu and reaching the final at the Guangzhou Challenger to repair some of the damage and climb back inside the top 100.
Building on his recently earned momentum could make a top-50 finish a realistic possibility for Tabilo, but achieving that will be a challenge given his limited activity and success on indoor hard courts. He has won only six matches on this surface in the past five years, and his only appearance in Vienna ended in a three-set loss to fellow South American Pedro Cachin in the qualifying rounds back in 2022.
Head-to-head: 0–0. Alexander Bublik is as dangerous as it gets on indoor hard courts and can challenge any player in these conditions. However, the uncertainty around which version of Bublik will show up and his inherent unpredictability leave the door slightly open for his opponents to believe they can find a way into the contest.
