Australian tennis player Alexei Popyrin reflects on his U.S. Open exit after a hard-fought match against Frances Tiafoe, following his stunning win over Novak Djokovic.
Bollywood Fever: Alexei Popyrin was left contemplating what could have been after his U.S. Open journey ended in the fourth round on Sunday.
The 25-year-old Australian, who had been riding a wave of career-best form, found himself on the losing end of a closely contested match against the inspired American Frances Tiafoe.
Popyrin, who had just days earlier secured a stunning victory over 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, fell short with a 6-4, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 defeat.
“It definitely does feel like a little opportunity lost,” Popyrin admitted to reporters after the match. “I think this match was changed by I think one, two, or three points. I think he won three more points than I did all match, and he won three sets. That just shows you how close it was.”
Despite the disappointment, Popyrin has much to be proud of. He recently claimed his first Masters title after a series of upsets at the Canadian Open in Montreal, propelling him to a career-high ranking of world number 23. Reflecting on his summer achievements, Popyrin remained optimistic.
“I’m telling everybody now, if you would have told me at the start of the summer I would have been 23 in the world with a Masters title and second week of a slam for the first time, I probably would have taken it considering the position I was in,” Popyrin said.
Popyrin’s recent success is particularly impressive given that earlier in the summer, he faced the possibility of falling out of the top 90 in the world rankings. Instead, he turned his season around, solidifying his place among the sport’s rising stars.
While Frances Tiafoe continues his quest to become the first American men’s singles champion at the U.S. Open since Andy Roddick in 2003, Popyrin’s performance has given Australian tennis fans hope.
With Nick Kyrgios currently absent from the tour, Popyrin’s form suggests he could be a strong contender to break Australia’s 48-year drought at the Australian Open, a title last claimed by Mark Edmondson in 1976.
However, Popyrin isn’t getting ahead of himself just yet. “I haven’t even thought about that yet,” he said with a laugh. “We’ve got Davis Cup, Asian swing, indoor swing. We still have a lot of tennis left to play this year. I’m going to take some time off I think now. I’m quite knackered.”
As Popyrin looks ahead to the remainder of the season, his recent performances have shown that he has the potential to be a significant force on the ATP Tour. Australian fans will be watching closely, hoping that Popyrin’s rise continues as the Australian Open approaches.
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