Bublik Overcomes Nakashima After Shanghai Masters Outburst

Alexander Bublik defeated Brandon Nakashima in the third round of the 2026 Shanghai Masters after a heated incident on court, where the Kazakh smashed his racket and injured himself while reacting to missed set points.

According to Yahoo Sports, Bublik lost the opening set after failing to convert two set points in the tiebreak. The No. 19 seed recovered to win 6-7(7-9), 6-3, 7-6(5).

The 29-year-old first broke his racket repeatedly before kicking his bench and striking a cooler beside his seat, according to Yardbarker. He then received a medical timeout to assess the injury before returning to play.

A tennis fan on Reddit criticized the incident after seeing Bublik lose control during the match.

"This is just crazy behavior, and if he had gotten a more serious injury, he would have nobody to blame but himself. I can only imagine the reactions if someone like Zverev had done this." said one fan on Reddit.

Bublik's victory moved him into the fourth round of the penultimate Masters 1000 event of the year, according to Yahoo Sports. He had previously beaten Tomas Machac of Czechia in straight sets in the second round.

The Kazakh will next face top seed Alexander Zverev, who survived a third-round challenge from Quentin Halys of France, according to Yahoo Sports. Bublik leads their ATP Tour-level head-to-head meetings 3-1.

Yardbarker reported that Bublik entered Shanghai seeking a stronger Masters 1000 run after reaching only one quarterfinal at this level since his 2025 breakthrough. He also climbed into the world top 10 for the first time earlier in the year.