By Iain Payten
The former Australian Open finalist who taught Alexei Popyrin how to hold a tennis racquet says the shy young Sydneysider always showed the talent to become one of the world’s top 10.
Popyrin, 25, will take on Frances Tiafoe in the US Open’s round of 16 on Monday morning (9am) after shocking the tennis world by downing Novak Djokovic on Saturday at Flushing Meadows in New York.
Djokovic was looking to notch a 25th major victory at the US Open but Popyrin had other plans, and the Australian turfed the Serbian out in four-sets in a major upset. It was the first time anyone had knocked Djokovic out at the US Open before the fourth round since Lleyton Hewitt way back in 2006.
The giant scalp for Popyrin came hot on the heels of his breakthrough first singles title last month, when he won the Montreal Open in Canada. After falling out of the world’s top 100 last year, Popyrin is now at a career-high ranking of 23 and his first coach, former Australian no.1 Kim Warwick, believes he hasn’t yet reached his peak.
Popyrin began playing tennis at the age of five at the Kim Warwick Tennis Centre in Hornsby, in the northern suburbs of Sydney. Warwick coached Popyrin until he was 10, when his Russian parents Alex and Elena moved the family to Dubai, then France and Spain.
“It was pretty obvious when he left that he had all the equipment to be a top 50 player – that was definitely there,” Warwick said.
Alexei Popyrin of Australia reacts after breaking serve against Novak Djokovic.Credit: Getty Images
“Alexei was different to many in that he listened all the time, and he learned quicker than most kids. He was always going to be reasonably tall, so we made sure he had a good volley and serve, and a slice backhand.
“I always thought he could go on to make the top 10 when he left for Europe at age 10. I believed he could get that far. But it is a tough game and it does take a while to get your feet. There are a lot of heavy egos out there in the top 100 and top 50 that you have to break through.
“He is a very shy boy, but I think now he has found his way and, importantly, developed that ego to take on the likes of Djokovic.”
Warwick was one of Australia’s top male players in the 1970s and 1980s, winning three singles titles and winning four major doubles titles with Mark Edmondson. He lost the 1980 Australian Open singles final to Brian Teacher, and reached a career high rank of No.15.
Kim Warwick in his playing days, making a backhand volley in 1981.Credit: Fairfax Media
Warwick said the Montreal win last month was a catalyst for Popyrin’s career to take off. He beat Andrey Rublev (6), Hubert Hurkacz (8) and Grigor Dimitrov (9) – and two others in the top 20 – on the way to victory, meaning Djokovic was Popyrin’s fourth top 10 scalp inside a month.
“He has gone close with a bunch of top guys, but he really hasn’t been consistent, until the last 18 months. He has started to have a lot more wins and now he has broken through with the Montreal win. That was a game-changer for him, because it lets him know I can do it,” Warwick said. “He is a threat to anyone.”
For his part, Popyrin is sticking stubbornly to his “stay in the now” mantra.
“I’m not thinking that far. I’m going to give you the cliche answer I always give: It’s always the next match for me. I focus on the next match and that’s it,” he said in New York.
Alexei Popyrin’s ranking climbs to No.23 in the world following his win in Montreal.Credit: AP
“My focus is on Frances. If I get past that, then we’ll focus on the next one. The biggest part about Montreal was I was able to back up big wins. For me, that’s something that I have really had to work on. I’ve had the capability of winning a big match but not being able to back it up. This week and Montreal I was able to do that.”
Tiafoe’s showdown with Popyrin has not surprisingly been afforded the prime-time slot on Sunday night in New York.
“He’s actually a really good friend of mine,” Popyrin said of his last-16 rival.
“We get along really well off the court. It will be interesting to play against him. We have practised a bunch of times. He’s a very tricky player. Probably has some of the best hands on tour, comes into the net a lot, likes to mix it up.”
with AAP
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