Alexander Bublik brought his own kind of entertainment during the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters match, giving the ball kid a chance to play in an official match.
The Kazakhstani player was a minor underdog against Borna Coric because he really doesn't like playing on clay. He certainly brought that to the tennis court because the Croatian needed only one hour to win the match 6-1, 6-1.
Bublik didn't play his best match, committing 20 unforced errors, 8 of which were doubles faults. At 1-6, 0-1, and 30-30, a smiley Bublik went over to a ball kid and handed his racquet.
Players handing their racquets to ball kids during matches is nothing new, but it's mostly limited to exhibition matches, such as during the Wimbledon Legends' tournament. We don't really see it during official matches because there's something to play for, and players are usually fully focused.
Players who choose to do something like Bublik did risk getting a time violation for delaying the match, and also probably getting some weird looks from the opponent, as it could be seen as a vehicle to distract them.
Still, it's exactly what Bublik did in his most recent match at the season's first ATP Masters 1000 tournament, as he approached a ball kid, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With some encouragement, the ball kid ultimately took the racket and attempted to hit two serves, with both ending in the net.
Now, obviously, this is against the rules, and he technically should have been given a code violation, at least for going over his time limit, but the umpire let it slide but urged everyone involved to become serious so the match could return.
Bublik would ultimately continue playing, but he didn't play any better, losing the second set swiftly 1-6. Still, the Kazakhstani player certainly had fun on the court, and made someone else's day.
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