Alexander Bublik will be made to pay for all three racquets he smashed during fit of anger in Montpellier, jokes Stan Wawrinka

Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka recently joked that Yonex would charge Alexander Bublik a fine for breaking his racquets.

During a first round match at the 2023 Open Sud de France in Montpellier, a frustrated Alexander Bublik lost his composure and smashed three racquets in a row. The incident occured in the third set tiebreak at 0-6; the Kazakh smashed the racquet he was playing with, and proceeded to smash two more used racquets from his seat. Bublik eventually lost 4-6, 7-6(12), 6-7(3).

Wawrinka's comment on the episode was inspired by the tweet of Dubai-based sports management company Morgan, which read:

“We would be enough for Yonex to send him an invoice and at the same time pay for frames for children who are tennis fans who cannot afford them. No one will tell him anything except the ATP who will inflict a ridiculous fine on him which the person concerned will pay without flinching!”

Stan Wawrinka, who is also sponsored by Yonex, replied that Bublik would be receiving an invoice from Yonex for breaking the racquets.

“Yonex will send him a small invoice too," he wrote.

Sports journalist Marcos Zugasti then clarified Wawrinka’s comment, stating that Yonex updated their policy in 2017 and put clauses in contracts where the players are charged a fee for each racquet they break during matches.

“This answer from Stan. Random fact: since 2017, Yonex began to put clauses in several of the contracts with its players to charge them a fee for each racket they break in matches. And the Japanese comply: you get the discount invoice,” he wrote.

Alexander Bublik and Stan Wawrinka: partners and opponents

Alexander Bublik and Stan Wawrinka will play against each other and partner for doubles as well.

Alexander Bublik and Stan Wawrinka will face off in the first round of the 2023 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam on February 13, 2023.

Bublik has had the worst possible start to 2023, failing to register a single win since January. But the Kazakh does lead the head-to-head against Wawrinka by a margin of 2-1.

Bublik beat Wawrinka in 2022 at the ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo Monaco in three sets, while the Swiss retired during their encounter at Metz France. But Wawrinka emerged as the victor, in straight sets, over Bublik last month at the 2023 United Cup.

While the two are set to face off in the singles draw of the tournament, they will be on the same side of the net in the doubles. The 22-year-old Bublik and 37-year-old Wawrinka have paired up to play doubles at the tournament.

Their first-round match will be a tough encounter though, as they are set to take on second seeds Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic.