Alexei Popyrin will face a tough challenge on Sunday at the Miami Open presented by Itau, when he plays World No. 2 and top seed Daniil Medvedev in the third round. The Russian star has plenty of respect for the 21-year-old Aussie.
“He’s a great player. I think [he is] still young, still coming up. Great strokes, great serve. Solid baseline player, but he can go to the net, hit winners from all corners of the court,” Medvedev said. “It’s going to be a tough match. Looking forward to it.”
Before they compete at the season’s first ATP Masters 1000 event, ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about Popyrin, the 2017 Roland Garros boys’ singles champion.
He Won His First ATP Tour Title Earlier This Year
Entering the Singapore Tennis Open, Popyrin had only reached one ATP Tour quarter-finals, and that came two years ago in Atlanta. But the Aussie played his best tennis at the ATP 250 to claim his first tour-level crown.
In the semi-finals, Popyrin eliminated former World No. 3 Marin Cilic before finishing his breakthrough run with a comeback victory against Alexander Bublik in the final.
“It feels unbelievable,” said Popyrin. “A lot of sacrifice, a lot of dedication and a lot of hard work went into this from myself, my team and my whole entire family. I have done it for everybody who was involved. I am just so proud that I could actually get it done.”
Popyrin First Made His Mark In Melbourne, Where He Has Thrived
The Aussie, then eight years old, was in the stands when countryman Lleyton Hewitt beat Marcos Baghdatis in an epic at the 2008 Australian Open that ended at 4:33 a.m. Little did Popyrin know that 11 years later, he would be the one impressing at Melbourne Park.
As a 19-year-old ranked World No. 149, he reached the third round of the 2019 Australian Open. Popyrin defeated Mischa Zverev and advanced past Dominic Thiem before pushing Lucas Pouille to five sets in a thriller. The Frenchman eventually made the semi-finals that year.
That wasn’t a one-time run for Popyrin, though, as he repeated the feat in 2020 by beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Jaume Munar to make the third round. Although the home favourite couldn’t earn a third consecutive third-round finish in Melbourne this year, he saved four match points in a five-set victory against 2017 Nitto ATP Finals runner-up David Goffin in a first-round victory.
The Aussie Is Thankful For His Family’s Sacrifices
When Popyrin was 12, he was playing Tennis Europe junior events. His family rented a seven-seater that they would travel in for three or four months playing tournaments. The Aussie’s parents, sister, brother and grandmother all packed into the car.
“We would all be in that car and we would just travel from Italy to Slovakia to Slovenia to Spain to France to all these places, all together in that one car,” Popyrin said. “That’s the sacrifice that everybody has made for me. My parents and my whole family have been the most influential people in my life.”
Alexei Is A Damian Lillard Fan, Loves Everton F.C.
If you see Popyrin sporting Portland TrailBlazers gear, don’t be surprised. At 13, he began watching NBA videos on YouTube and grew to enjoy the sport. Damian Lillard, one of the biggest stars in the NBA, has become his favourite player.
“I’m not one of those glory-seekers to find a team that has been winning trophies so easily and have had the best team in the league. I was just trying to find my team and Damian Lillard popped up,” Popyrin said. “He’s become my favourite player and they’ve become my favourite team. I think even if he leaves I’ll still support Portland.”
Popyrin has followed football for virtually his entire life, and he remembers watching the 2006 World Cup, when Tim Cahill played well for Australia. Popyrin became a fan of Cahill’s club team, Everton F.C.
“I wanted to find a team to support and he was my favourite player,” Popyrin said. “I told him that myself and it’s great that we’re in touch because he was one of my idols growing up.”
He Has Lived In Several Countries
Popyrin is Australian, but he has spent time in several countries. He moved with his family to Dubai for two years, where he even served as a ballboy at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Popyrin then moved to Spain in 2010, where he still lives part-time.
Since his late teenage years, Popyrin has trained at the Mouratoglou Academy in France, and he credits Patrick Mouratoglou for helping his development. The Aussie speaks English, Russian and Spanish.