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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2020

Alexei Popyrin

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

A. POPYRIN/J. Tsonga

6-7, 6-2, 6-1 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What is it like to beat your childhood idol?
ALEXEI POPYRIN: Yeah, it was good. It was great playing him. But it's not the way I wanted to win at all. He was my childhood idol. I wanted to finish the match against him, win or lose.

To see him retire injured, it was painful for me.

Q. What happened at the end? A brief exchange?
ALEXEI POPYRIN: I just told him how much I loved him as a kid, how much I still admired his game, all that. I looked up to him as a kid, I loved how he played.

Q. When did you realize he was in some trouble or did you realize as the match was going on?
ALEXEI POPYRIN: Well, I think I kind of knew from the start of the match. I saw his previous match. He wasn't moving as well. So I kind of had that in the back of my mind.

In the first set, he played some good tennis. He served well. It really didn't hinder him in the first set. During the second set, I think he tweaked it a bit. That's when I realized.

Q. What is it like coming back this year? Third round last year. Made it past the first round of every Grand Slam. Do you come here with a lot of confidence?
ALEXEI POPYRIN: Yeah, I'm just here enjoying myself. I play good tennis here. It's a great experience to play in front of the crowd. It's something that I look forward to every year.

Yeah, I think with this win, with the way I played, even though he did retire, with the way I played, I think I'm pretty confident in the next couple rounds.

Q. Take us through your strategy in terms of the tour last year, such a great run, getting into main draw rounds on the tour. I suppose a lot of your contemporaries around your ranking or age might go through more the challenger series. Take us through why you decided to do that, the perceived benefits of it.
ALEXEI POPYRIN: Well, I think as a kid, I always wanted to play up. I always wanted to always challenge myself in higher levels. I think ATP is the highest level you can challenge yourself.

I always, like, for me, it's always a learning curve, always a learning experience. When I lose in ATP tournaments, for example, main draws, or even in qualifying, it always gives me something to learn, something that I can take out of it.

I'm not saying that in challengers you don't learn, but it's playing that step up, getting used to it, knowing what you'll be expecting.

Q. Do you think that's something that will longer term might pay off for you because you've had such experience at a young age?
ALEXEI POPYRIN: Yeah, I think so. I think it shows in Grand Slams. In Grand Slams I feel at home. I felt at home from the first Grand Slam last year, Aussie Open. I think it's all about experience that comes together. It's paying off right now.

Q. I know you're probably preparing for your match. When you see some of the other Australians win, what does that do for you?
ALEXEI POPYRIN: Yeah, it's amazing to see them doing well. Obviously I'm focused on what I'm doing. When I see them, when I see them doing well, it just gives us extra motivation to go out there and keep winning.

It's great to see a lot of Aussies through to the second round.

Q. What was it about Jo in particular that stood out to you as a kid?
ALEXEI POPYRIN: Yeah, it was his flair. As a kid, everybody loves flair. It was his forehand, his serve, the way he acted on court. He was an entertainer. He still is an entertainer.

Just how he played was something that I really loved. Seeing that run he made in the Aussie Open finals was something else. When he made it to the finals, I was jumping around, like I said earlier. I was jumping around my living room like a crazy kid, so yeah.

Q. Have you had much to do with Jo since you've been on the tour?
ALEXEI POPYRIN: No, not really. No, not really at all. I've never hit with him on the tour. This was the first time I ever had an encounter or interaction with him. It was just great to finally tell him how much he's impacted my career.

Q. Maybe Munar or Gaston next. What can you tell me about those two?
ALEXEI POPYRIN: Munar I played last year in Indian Wells first round. I came out on top on that one. It was a tough match. I know what to expect against him.

Gaston I played juniors with, I never played against him, but I remember him in juniors. He's a year younger than me. He's a lefty. He's very creative. He loves to dropshot, lob, moves pretty well.

So anybody who wins that match, it will be a tough match. I'm just prepared. I'm just going to prepare with my team.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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