Another year, another warning unheeded. Alexander Bublik, fresh off his victory at the Halle Open, joined a growing list of champions whose grass-court glory in Germany came crashing down in the very first round at Wimbledon. The so-called “Halle curse,” whispered with increasing dread through locker rooms and press corridors alike, has once again claimed its latest victim.
Bublik entered Wimbledon brimming with confidence after his title run in Halle, but that momentum disappeared under the bright lights of SW19. His early exit continues a pattern that’s haunted the tournament for well over a decade. Since 2010, almost every Halle champion has stumbled at the first hurdle in London. Names like Philipp Kohlschreiber (2011), Tommy Haas (2012), Florian Mayer (2016), Borna Coric (2018), Ugo Humbert (2021), and Hubert Hurkacz (2022) now share an unenviable bond with Bublik.
Only two men have emerged from this odd sporting riddle unscathed: Roger Federer and Jannik Sinner. Federer, with his unmatched mastery of grass courts, and Sinner, riding a new wave of momentum in the 2020s, have been the only ones able to balance the highs of Halle with the pressures of Wimbledon’s first round.
Whether it’s fatigue, pressure, or pure coincidence, the Halle curse lingers as a strange and persistent narrative in tennis lore. For Bublik, the hope is that a short Wimbledon run will not overshadow his talent, but it certainly places him in a curious chapter of modern tennis history.
Since 2011, only two players have managed to escape the ‘Win Halle, lose Wimbledon R1’ curse altogether.
They’re both in this picture. pic.twitter.com/LpPcmMLgiD
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) July 1, 2025
Sinner in Wimbledon, ranking, and results in 2025
WWWWLWLWWW Currently the world no.1, Jannik has achieved an overall 20-3 win-loss record in 2025. Jannik is playing in Wimbledon where he beat the world no.95 Luca Nardi 6-4 6-3 6-0.
Jannik Sinner will come up against the world no.93 Aleksandar Vukic in the 2nd round. Their current head to head is 2-0 for Sinner.
Sinner conquered 1 title in 2025 at the Australian Open. Jannik was the runner-up in Rome (Internazionali BNL d’Italia) and at the French Open.
The Italian won 20 titles in his career: 10 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts, 8 on indoor courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Alexander Bublik in 2025
WWWWWLWWWW Currently the world no.31, Bublik played his last match on the 1st of January 1970 when he surrendered to world no.55 Jaume Antoni Munar Clar 6-4 3-6 4-6 7-6(5) 6-2 in the 1st round in Wimbledon (draw).
Currently, during this season Bublik has managed to achieve an overall 27-17 win-loss record. Bublik conquered 2 titles in 2025 in the Turin Challenger and Halle. Bublik was the finalist in the Phoenix Challenger.
Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik played each other 6 times. Their current record is 4-2 for Sinner.
