Alexei Popyrin appeared on the AO Show this week to discuss his career milestone in Montreal, which data analyst Simon Lea said had a lot to do with improving yields.
August 23, 2024, Montreal, Canada | Lys de Degde
The Montreal Masters was a turning point for Alexei Popyrin.
Not only is it the biggest title of his career, it is also a landmark moment for his country as he becomes the first Australian ATP Masters 1000 champion since Lleyton Hewitt in 2003.
Popyrin defeated top-10 contenders Griger Dimitrov, Hubert Hurkacs and Andrei Rublev to claim the title, giving him four top-10 wins this year – the most in a single season for his career.
The Canadian Open champion discussed what this important milestone means to him. AO Show Week.
“It’s a huge deal for me. I don’t think many players make it to the Masters 1000 in their career. It’s a dream come true for me,” Popyrin said in an interview that will air in full on Monday’s episode. Sit down and talk.
“(It) really showed that I can play at that level and play at that level consistently. It’s a testament to all the hard work we’ve put in the last two years.”
Listen to: Alexei Popyrin on AO Show Week
Popyrin, who had fallen out of the world’s top 60, rose 39 places in the rankings after winning this tournament and secured a seed for the upcoming US Open.
This is the first time the 25-year-old has been seeded in a Grand Slam tournament.
Popyrin said he has seen tremendous improvement thanks to his team, which has allowed him to push his game and explore new areas.
“My two coaches, Neville Godwin and Xavier Mallis, were unbelievable to me,” he explained.
“They’ve turned my game around and helped me get back on the right track after a very disappointing year mentally in 2022.”
As confirmed by Simon Rea of Game Insight Group, his serve return has reached a new level in Canada.
Rea said in last week’s episode AO ShowPopyrin mentioned that he was “entering” the second round of returns.
The Australian has won an average of 46 per cent of his second serve return points over the past 12 months, a figure that jumped to 65 per cent in the Montreal final against Rublev.
| Alexei Popyrin: Second serve return points | ||
| Montreal game | opponent | Earn 2nd sub return point |
| 3R | Griger Dimitrov | 49% |
| QF | Hubert Hurkatz | 52% |
| San Francisco | Sebastian Korda | 63% |
| critical | Andrey Rublev | 65% |
Known for his serve and powerful forehand, Popyrin has been focusing on developing his return game, and that has paid off in Montreal.
“It’s definitely something that we’ve highlighted where we need to improve. We’ve tried, but we haven’t tried too hard… There have been some adjustments,” he said.
“It’s a huge improvement and I hope it continues to improve.”
A great comeback has allowed Popyrin to play with confidence and has managed to pull off a string of upsets against some of the biggest names on tour.
He has gained faith and confidence through historical records, and he wants to make them his own and use them as a stepping stone to higher ground.
“It’s amazing what you can do to play tennis when you have that much confidence,” he said.
“Going out on the court and feeling like you can hit any shot and do anything is a feeling I try to cherish forever.”
Find out how to play: Visit play.tennis.com.au Get out there and have fun!
