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Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Alexei Popyrin becomes the last Aussie standing at French Open after overcoming years of injuries and setbacks
Australian tennis star Alexei Popyrin has reached the fourth round of the French Open for the first time in his career and is poised to crack the world top 20 in the second week on the Paris clay. The 25-year-old Sydneysider produced a composed and clinical performance to defeat Portugal's Nuno Borges 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(5) in hot, punishing conditions on Court 7 in Paris. The win propels Popyrin into the second week of a Grand Slam for only the second time in his career, and for the first time at Roland Garros – a tournament where he had previously struggled to find rhythm or consistency on the red clay. 'It was a really good match from my point,' he said after sealing victory. 'Happy I wrapped it up in three sets. It's really hot out there, really difficult conditions.' Popyrin has long been considered one of Australia's most talented ball strikers, but his path through the ATP ranks has been anything but linear. Since winning the 2017 Roland Garros junior title, he's battled inconsistent form, coaching changes, and several injury setbacks, including groin and shoulder problems that derailed his momentum at key points in past seasons. His breakout at this year's French Open comes as a welcome surprise for Aussie fans, particularly after top seed Alex de Minaur exited in the second round. 'We all expected Demon to be in the fourth round,' Popyrin admitted. 'I don't think I could have thought that – Alex is probably the most consistent player on tour – but that's the case now. I'm only focusing on myself. I want to keep going as far as I can, that's all I'm thinking.' Popyrin's performance against Borges showed a level of maturity that has often eluded him in previous campaigns. He was aggressive on serve, dominating with 12 aces and winning over 80 per cent of first-serve points. He also handled the pressure moments with far more composure than in previous Grand Slam showings. 'I played the first set-and-a-half really, really solid, how I've been playing all week,' Popyrin said. 'But had a bit of a mental slip-up at the end of the second but managed to dig deep in the tiebreak.' It was a match that tested both his physical and mental resilience. 'The third set was more a mental battle than a physical battle on my side,' he said. 'Trying to hold serve, and then trying to get opportunities on his return, which I had towards the end. But still managed to kind of keep my head and still play well in the tie-break.' With the win, Popyrin becomes the last Australian remaining in the men's singles draw, carrying national hopes into the second week of the tournament. He will now face 12th seed Tommy Paul of the United States, a powerful and athletic baseliner who has already spent over 10 hours on court through three matches. Paul has played back-to-back five-setters and may be vulnerable to a fresher opponent. Popyrin, who entered the tournament as the 25th seed, began his campaign with a walkover win when Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka retired due to injury.
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Poportunity knocks: Big clay court breakthrough as Aussie surges into French Open's second week
With his backhand fortified and his confidence rising, Alexei Popyrin has an opportunity to reach the quarterfinals of a grand slam for the first time after surging into the second week of the French Open with a stirring display on Friday. After a run of outs at Roland Garros surprising given his credentials as a former French Open boys' champion, the Australian has demonstrated in Paris over the past week the weaponry that makes him a threat on the shifting surface. Pitted against tough Portuguese Nuno Borges in a third round clash on Friday, Popyrin overcame the frustration of having several opportunities go begging in a dramatic second set on the way to a 6-4 7-6 (11) 7-6 (5) triumph in just over three hours. Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. After being untouched on serve for the best part of the 75 minutes, the Sydneysider twice dropped his delivery when attempting to move to a two set lead and ultimately required six set points, while saving two himself, to snare a pivotal moment in a testing battle. Opportunity knocked at different stages through the third set as well, with the three-time ATP Tour titleholder holding four break points at 4-3 and then two match points at 5-4 in service games of Borges. Popyrin was then forced to save a break point of his own at 5-all, with his superb serve coming to the fore once again. Come the tie-breaker, he was the superior player and used a balance of power and touch to seize an important win in his career on his fifth match point, with a booming serve down the T proving unreturnable. '(The second set) was very important. I think going two sets to love up, or one set all, is a completely different ballgame,' Popyrin said. 'To be able to get through that tiebreak, I had two opportunities to serve for the set (and) wasn't able to do it, considering how well I served the whole match. 'That was quite a surprise. Those were the only two times I was broken in the whole match. It was a weird kind of four or five games. Then ... going through that tiebreak, it was really tight. I knew how important it was. 'But at the same time, I just tried to keep focus on my serve. Then when the opportunity arose on my return, then I would try to capitalise on it. That's kind of what happened.' He will now face top American Tommy Paul, a semi-finalist in the Australian Open two years ago who is currently ranked No.12. The pair have met four times, with the American leading the head to head 3-1, but none of their meetings have been on clay. Paul has been stretched the distance in two of his three matches to date, including a five set triumph on Friday on what was a particularly warm day in Paris, but the Australian said he doubts the extended matches will worry him. 'Honestly, I think Tommy is one of the fittest guys on tour. The work he puts in the gym, the work he puts in off the court, I think he's only going to come out on Sunday and play normal,' he said. 'For me, it's very important not to think about the fact that he's played two five-setters. It's to keep focusing on myself, to keep focusing on the way I've been playing for the last two weeks and trying to bring that level again, trying to bring that consistent level. 'For me, that's the most important. Not to focus on how he feels or what he's done in previous rounds. I know how fit he is. I think the whole tour knows how fit he is. He's not going to come out there and show you that he's tired, that's for sure.' It was an impressive performance from Popyrin, who rose in prominence last August when becoming just the fourth Australian after Pat Rafter, Mark Philippoussis and Lleyton Hewitt to win at Masters level when successful in Montreal. He followed that exceptional effort by upsetting 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic at the US Open when reaching the last 16 of a grand slam for the first time. Popyrin believes that experience will stand him in good stead for Sunday's opportunity. 'I know how I'm going to be feeling in the fourth round of a slam. Going into the fourth round against 'Foe (Frances Tiafoe) in the US Open, I had no idea how I was going to feel, especially coming off a match like the third round against Novak,' he said. 'You get the emotional highs, then you top that off with the physical stress. You're never going to be 100 per cent going into a fourth round of a slam. That's something I can kind of learn from, which we have. 'But then again, the first three rounds have been nowhere near as tough as that Novak match in the third round there. It's actually a positive on my side. I'm feeling quite good, considering the circumstances of it being a fourth round of a slam. Hopefully I can keep feeling that way.' In a season that has been far from a smooth ride, with Popyrin's former coach Xavier Malisse shocking him at Indian Wells when calling an end to what had been a fruitful partnership, the agile right-hander has regained his best form in Paris. He had been building in recent weeks with runs to the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters and also the Geneva Open clinched by Djokovic last week. But under new coach Wayne Ferreira, Popyrin has taken another step forward in a career that has promised much after his success as a junior in Paris in 2017. He believes he is becoming more consistent under his new mentor. 'That's what I've been talking about all week, I think, the consistency part,' he said. '(It is about the way) I play these matches, where you can play your best tennis against a top-10 player, but when you play a player ranked 40, 50, 60, you're the favourite, you have to bring that consistent level, the level you play against a top player. That's what I struggled with. 'I think changing the mindset into being a little more consistent, not going for winners at the first opportunity, trying to build a point up, I think that helps. That's kind of the way we've been focusing the first, well, since the start of the clay. It's been working well.'
ABC News
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Alexei Popyrin makes fourth round of French Open without dropping a set after downing Nuno Borges
Alexei Popyrin says he couldn't have imagined he'd end up as the last Aussie man standing at the French Open — but he's determined to keep the flag flying high after ensuring there would be no depressing hangover following Alex de Minaur's shock exit. On a roasting Friday in Paris, the country's No.2 player got hot in the Court 14 furnace in which de Minaur's hopes had crashed and burned the previous day, downing doughty Portuguese Nuno Borges 6-4 7-6 (13-11) 7-6 (7-5) to reach the last-16 without having yet dropped a set. "We all expected Demon to be in the fourth round," admitted Popyrin, when asked if he'd have thought at the start of the week he'd be the final men's survivor. "I don't think I could have thought that — Alex is probably the most consistent player on tour — but that's the case now. I'm only focusing on myself. I want to keep going as far as I can, that's all I'm thinking." And there's no reason that couldn't be very far. Last year Popyrin reached the last-16 in the US Open, but now he has the chance to go even further in a slam as he faces American iron man, 12th seed Tommy Paul, who outlasted Karen Khachanov 6-3 3-6 7-6 (9-7) 3-6 6-3. And though, ultimately, Popyrin may have made harder work of his win than he would have liked, the 25th seed still felt it was a major boon to have got the job done in three-straight in three hours, while Paul was slogging for 4 hours 7 minutes after another five-set slog in the first round which had lasted 3:38. "It was a really good match from my point. Happy I wrapped it up in three sets. It's really hot out there, really difficult conditions," said Popyrin. "I played the first set-and-a-half really, really solid, how I've been playing all week, but had a bit of a mental slip-up at the end of the second but managed to dig deep in the tiebreak. "The third set was more a mental battle than a physical battle on my side trying to hold serve, and then trying to get opportunities on his return, which I had towards the end. But still managed to kind of keep my head and still play well in the tiebreak." Popyrin now joins an elite group of his compatriots to have made it this far on the Paris clay since the turn of the Millennium alongside Mark Philippoussis (2000), Wayne Arthurs (2001), Lleyton Hewitt (2000-02, 2004, 2006-07) and Alex de Minaur (2024). The courts hardening and speeding up in the sunshine certainly suited his big serving as Popyrin dropped just three points on his delivery in the opening set but he had a bit of an aberration near the end of the second. He squandered a set point at 3-5 and twice served for the set only to deliver a couple of error-prone games — the only times he was broken in the match. Eventually, he needed plenty of resolve in a dog-fight of a tiebreak, saving a couple of set points and having four more of his own repelled before the Portuguese finally crashed a backhand long. Popyrin's relief was palpable. "It was very important. One-set all is a completely different ball game." His serve was in formidable nick, generally, his 13 aces and 80 per cent success rate on his first delivery suggesting he's going to be hard work for Paul to subdue. "He played unbelievable tennis there (in the Canadian Open last year). That's what he's capable of. He can take the racquet out of your hand sometimes," said the American. "Hopefully, I can use the clay to my advantage and kind of slow things down a little bit." AAP
The Guardian
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Alexei Popyrin carries Australian flag into fourth round of French Open
Alexei Popyrin has ensured there was no hangover from Alex de Minaur's early exit as he got hot on a baking Paris day to reach the last-16 of the French Open with a touch of swagger and a sprinkling of good old-fashioned Aussie grit. The country's No 2 player isn't now just the last man standing in the draw but the last man positively thriving as he downed quality Portuguese Nuno Borges 6-4 7-6 (13-11) 7-6 (7-5) in the Court 14 furnace at Roland Garros to reach the last-16 on Friday. Ultimately, he may have perhaps made harder work of it than he should but after a tough three-hour duel, 25th seed Popyrin still hasn't dropped a set yet in the championships. The second time in the fourth round at a grand slam, Popyrin joins an illustrious list of his compatriots to have made it this far on the Paris clay since the turn of the Millennium alongside Mark Philippoussis (2000), Wayne Arthurs (2001), Lleyton Hewitt (2000-02, 2004, 2006-07) and Alex de Minaur (2024). The courts hardening and speeding up in the sunshine certainly suited the big serving Popyrin as he produced a strikingly impressive opening behind his powerful delivery, dropping just three points behind it in the opening set -- but from then on it got more complicated. The Sydneysider seemed in complete control when he broke Borges again in the middle of the second set, his serve still ticking along nicely, but from that point, he found it tough to seal the set. He had a set point on Borges' serve at 3-5 which was repelled, then twice served for the stanza only to produce his first two really error-prone games. It came down to who could hold their nerve best in a dog-fight of a tiebreak. Alexei Popyrin is through to the last 16 for the first time in Paris!#RolandGarros — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2025 Borges earned a couple of set points and Popyrin four more, before finally on the sixth attempt to wrap it up after 72 minutes, he profited from the Portuguese finally crashing a backhand long. Popyrin's relief was palpable and the pressure cranked up on Borges, who found himself having to save two match points at 4-5 before dragging the match into another tiebreak. Popyrin powered into a 6-2 lead in the tiebreak only for Borges to doggedly save three more until the No.25 seed finally delivered one more irretrievable serve to prevail in just a minute over three hours. It sets up an even more difficult date in the fourth round for the 25-year-old against Russian 24th seed Karen Khachanov or American 12th seed Tommy Paul, who were locked in a five-set battle on Court Simonne-Mathieu.
News.com.au
a day ago
- Health
- News.com.au
‘Burnt out' Alex de Minaur's incredible grand slam streak comes to brutal end
Downcast after blowing a golden opportunity at the French Open, Alex de Minaur has declared he feels burnt out amid an increase in complaints from players concerned about the gruelling nature of the tour. The No.9 seed was cruising against dangerous Kazakh Alexander Bublik at Roland Garros before losing momentum early in the third set on the way to a 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-2 defeat that left him bereft. Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. It ensures de Minaur his worst result at a grand slam since Wimbledon 2023 after six straight slams where he had made the fourth round or better, including four quarter-finals. With Adam Walton falling to Andrey Rublev 7-6 (1) 6-1 7-6 (5) later on Thursday, Alexei Popyrin is the sole Australian man left in the draw. He will play Portugal's Nuno Borges in the second match on Crt 14 on Friday for a spot in the last 16. A drained de Minaur said he felt fatigued after letting slip a significant advantage against the powerful but enigmatic Bublik, describing the manner of his loss as out of character. He vowed to review the defeat prior to the grass court season. 'Look, I'm just tired. I'm tired mentally. I'm a little bit burnt out, if anything,' he said. 'In a way, the good thing is that what's happened today is something like a miracle, right, in the sense that I'm not known for these types of performances, or (for) losing a match like this from two sets to love up. I'm probably known for the opposite, which is just being consistent and not really losing matches that I shouldn't be losing. 'Saying all this, (I'll) obviously have to have a hard chat with the team and analyse everything that's been happening (and) kind of find a reason of why this happened today.' De Minaur has played 71 matches over the past 12 months dating back to his run to the Roland Garros quarterfinals last year, which makes him one of the busiest men on the tour. That includes a stint post Wimbledon where he was sidelined with an adductor issue. He has already played 37 matches this year, with this just the second tournament for the season where he has not posted multiple wins. The 26-year-old, whose winning strike rate of .696 is the eighth best over the past 52 weeks, lamented losing control of the match. 'Probably looking back at my grand slam career, I can't think of another match where ... I felt this way and I ended up losing a match that I probably, by all means, shouldn't have,' he said. 'Not to (take) credit away from Bublik, (because) he's extremely dangerous, but saying that, I was also two sets to love up. This is a match that ... I win 99.9% of the times. Today was just the odd occasion that it slipped away.' Bublik, for his part, quipped the reason he started so slowly was because he wasn't used to firing at 11am. Adding insult to injury for de Minaur, he would have faced qualifier Henrique Rocha for a spot in the last 16 after he ousted highly-talented Czech Jakub Mensik. De Minaur suspects part of the reason for his fade out is his workload and added his voice to the concerns raised by players including Jordan Thompson and three-time major finalist Casper Ruud, who opted to take a break after the Australian Open. 'No-one's got a solution. But the solution is simple. You shorten the schedule, right?' he said. 'What's not normal is that for the last three (to) four years I've had two days off after Davis Cup (in late November) and I've gone straight into pre-season, straight into the new season again. 'Sure ... I could have maybe taken a week or a week and a half off. But that means my pre-season is two weeks long and I'm already starting in Australia, which is my home ground (and) where I want to be doing well. Once you start, you don't finish until November 24th, right? So it's just never ending. That's the sheer fact of it. 'The solution is you shorten it, because what's going to happen is players' careers are going to get shorter and shorter, because they're just going to burn out mentally. There's just too much tennis.' Critics would suggest some players do not do themselves favours by playing additional events and de Minaur features regularly in the Ultimate Tennis Showdown exhibitions. This included a lucrative winning effort in London in December, an appearance at a historic colosseum in Nimes in the south of France and another one in Hong Kong in October. The caveat is that the players would be training anyway and it is a way to further their income and branding in a low-stress environment that serves as a glorified practice session. Either way de Minaur, whose place in the top 10 is in peril given the points he has lost, said he should have made the most of his advantage against Bublik. It is only the third time in his career de Minaur has lost from two sets up, along with the third round of the 2018 US Open against Marin Cilic, and the fourth round of Wimbledon 2022 against Cristian Garin. 'Look, there's no excuse, again, for ... what happened today,' he said. 'I need to look at myself in the mirror and find out the reasons, because ultimately this isn't going to change. It doesn't look like it's going to change. I have to adapt and make sure it doesn't happen again.' Walton, meanwhile, battled hard against Rublev but was not able to find the points that mattered most in the two tiebreakers. The Queenslander has done well to fortify his position in the top 100, a challenge he said was far more stressful than he realised after making the breakthrough last year. 'Obviously getting to the top hundred is one thing and then staying there's another thing,' he said. 'I thought I rose to the top 100 pretty quickly. But then I hit a bit of a tough patch. So I really struggled when I got to the 100 to try stay there and it's been a massive grind. 'But then I thought I did good strides in the pre-season and had another great start to this year. I've already bagged as many points as I did last year, so just hopefully now that I know what I'm walking into and playing the events for the second time round, that I can do a little bit better and have a bit of a free swing at the back end of the year. 'I don't take it for granted. I know everyone's trying to get inside 100, so you obviously have everyone trying to keep coming in. So it's not easy to stay there.'
