Alexei Popyrin went through perhaps the best moment of his career exactly a year ago, when he won his first Masters 1000 in Montreal thanks to a truly amazing run. The Australian player had managed to exalt himself on this surface and will try to shine in Canada also in 2025, taking advantage of the absences of top players such as Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper.
Popyrin's momentum in 2024 had also continued at the US Open, where he had achieved the most prestigious win of his career by beating a legend like Novak Djokovic. The Serbian legend was not at the top of his shape at that juncture of the season, having used almost all his energy to win the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
The Aussie talent had already put the former world number 1 in trouble at both the Australian Open and the Wimbledon Championships, proving to have the right skills to create problems even for top players in the right conditions.
Popyrin won the title in Montreal last year
During a long interview with the ATP's official website, Alexei recalled his amazing win over Nole in New York last year: “Against Novak, I think everybody always knew that I’m capable of producing a one-match stunner.
But I want to get back to winning the matches that I should be winning, stringing together wins and then giving a good account in the matches that I’m the underdog.”
The Australian ace continued: “Winning the Masters was easily a bigger buzz than the US Open win over Novak because I put together six matches consecutively against Top 20 opponents and beat them all.
As you look for that consistency, you don’t want to take away anything from your big explosive game; it’s more about staying in rallies longer and waiting for the right opportunity rather than going for an unbelievable shot.”
If he is at the top of his shape, Popyrin could be one of the most dangerous players at the US Open and no player will want to face him during the first week.
