Ernests Gulbis lost. He lost a lot, again.
Fresh off what looked like a breakthrough semifinal run at the French Open, the world’s 10th-ranked player quickly followed his career-best grand slam performance with a shocking second-round loss against No. 66 Kenny De Schepper at Queen’s Club.
But the earnings lost at the Wimbledon warmup tournament were nothing compared to the hit he supposedly took at the blackjack table.
Gulbis, who comes from one of the wealthiest families in Latvia and is known for his outrageous personality, went out in celebration of his performance in Paris, and said he lost all of the $558,479 he won at the French Open. Later, he said that was an exaggerated figure, but he made it clear the house won — and won big.
“After losing to [Novak] Djokovic, I returned to Latvia with my cousin and I went to the casino: I bet all prize money won in Paris and I lost it,” Gulbis told Gazzetta dello Sport on Tuesday. “I like blackjack, but I lost. I lost a lot.”
Here is an excerpt from an interview he conducted at Queen’s Club with BBC Sport:
Reporter: “Were you a winner or a loser in the casino?”
Gulbis: “I was a big loser.”
Reporter: “What game were you playing?”
Gulbis: “Blackjack.”
Reporter: “I love the fact that you’re still maintaining this image of a maverick figure on the tour.”
Gulbis: “It’s not image at all.”