Alexander Blockx reflects on coming full circle with Medvedev, would "sign a paper" to have Goffin's career

PARIS—Earlier this week, Alexander Blockx found himself sharing a stage with Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Daniil Medvedev at a special event hosted by Tecnifibre. It was one of those full-circle moments for the 21-year-old, who as a child, commemorated a visit to Turin by having his photo taken with Medvedev.

“It was my first appearance at the Next Gen Finals as a fan back then. He was already a professional tennis player at the highest level,” Blockx reflected with TENNIS.com when looking at the picture in question.

“I knew I had a very long way to go, but somewhere I also knew I would get there one day as well. It’s definitely special to be here now and go through everything he has been going through as well. It’s nice to see that the work paid off.”

So far in 2026, Blockx has emerged as one of the breakout players of the season on his way to joining the ATP’s Top 40. Ahead of Roland Garros, the Antwerp native knocked off Felix Auger-Aliassime, Francisco Cerundolo and Casper Ruud en route to the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open.

That run was sandwiched in-between picking up a pair of wins at both Monte Carlo and Rome, though life on tour has remained status quo according to Blockx.

“For me personally, not much has changed. Of course the ranking is higher now but I’m still doing the same things,” he says. “Maybe the players recognize me a bit more, but I’ll still be playing tennis as if I have no ranking. It’s just the process for me. I will always like it.”

One area that is changing: the face of Belgian tennis. Blockx is the current No. 1 from his nation and is part of a blossoming generation. Zizou Bergs is ranked just two spots behind him and Raphael Collignon is establishing himself as a Top 100 mainstay.

The trio follows in the footsteps of the outgoing David Goffin, who made his final French Open appearance earlier this week in the second round of qualifying. The impact the former world No. 7 has made back home cannot be understated, stresses Blockx.

“I think he was the best Belgian male tennis player we ever had. Did a lot of great things. Brought Belgium to the Davis Cup Finals two times, played the finals at the Nitto ATP Finals. If we could sign a paper with his career, we would immediately sign it,” declared Blockx.

“It’s definitely something we cannot take for granted. It’s sad that he will be retiring at the end of the season but at the other side, he’s had an amazing career. The next generation is competing so high right now, Raphael and Zizou are playing amazing tennis this year. He definitely has a few Belgians to back him up in the future.”

Blockx is seeking his first career major match win, having previously contested the Australian Open in January as a lucky loser. He faces Coleman Wong, a lucky loser here, Sunday on Court 8. The winner is projected to meet eighth-seed Alex de Minaur in the second round.