Alexander Bublik vs Tommy Paul Prediction & Picks - ATP Miami

Prediction published on 3/21/25, 7:10 AM  by Tyler Doty | Modified on 3/21/25 at 7:13 AM in ATP Miami Picks

American Tommy Paul begins his Miami Open campaign on Friday with a second-round match in Florida against the unpredictable Kazakh Alexander Bublik.

After contracting a virus in Acapulco that forced him to withdraw, Tommy Paul reassured himself about his physical condition during the BNP Paribas Open. Admittedly, a round-of-16 finish in California didn’t match the American’s original ambitions, but at least it allowed him to regain some physical rhythm before heading to Miami starting this Friday. Ranked 13th in the world, Tommy Paul is one of the most consistent players on the circuit, but he still lacks that little something that could make the difference and help him win a major tournament. As the 12th seed, Tommy Paul received a first-round bye and will face Alexander Bublik in his opening match.

It’s always difficult to analyze the results and play of the Kazakh, who remains unpredictable with a polarizing personality. So far this season, the world number 80 has struggled, with first-round exits at the Adelaide tournament, the Australian Open, Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai, and then Indian Wells. This string of poor results has dropped Alexander Bublik in the rankings and affected his morale. However, last week at the Phoenix Challenger, the Kazakh reached the final, creating a positive momentum that helped him beat Argentina’s Sebastian Baez (ranked 36th by the ATP) in the first round at Miami. This new energy is something Alexander Bublik hopes to carry forward, although it will take an exceptional effort to overcome Tommy Paul on Friday.