AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2023

Alexei Popyrin

Press Conference

B. SHELTON/A. Popyrin

6-3, 7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Alexei, I know not the result that you wanted today, but originally coming into this, two great matches under your belt, there must be some positives that you can take out of your run at the Australian Open.

ALEXEI POPYRIN: I think there's positives I can take out from the whole match, top 10 wins, I got more than five matches in. Yeah, for me just the level I played, the level I competed is a huge difference from where I was three, four months ago from when the season ended last year.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How hard was Ben as an opponent? Seemed to get better as the match went on.

ALEXEI POPYRIN: Yeah, well, honestly if this is the way he plays day in, day out, the guy is top 10 in six months. I don't think he could have played... Maybe he could play better than the way he played today, but if he continues playing the way he played like this, then he's a force to be reckoned with, honestly. He hit the lines. He averages second serves at 190. Not much you can do in terms of attacking a second serve.

If he plays like this... It makes it even harder that he's a lefty. I don't think I did much wrong. I think when I had my chance, he played them out. Specifically I'm looking back at the 3-All in the second set. He hits the net tape. If that had rolled onto the other side, onto his side, I think things would have been a little bit different. I probably would have relaxed a little bit, started holding my serve easier.

You never know honestly. The way he was playing, anything can happen. He played great today. Not taking anything away from him.

Q. A great of buildup to the match tonight. Did that pressure help you? The packed John Cain Arena, the reaction from the crowd, did that put extra pressure on you or did you build on that yourself?

ALEXEI POPYRIN: No, I won't lie, this was probably the most nervous I was walking out onto the court. But I think that's to be expected, especially wanting to back up a win like I had against Taylor. Then the crowd there supporting you, whole of Australia basically behind you, which is a feeling that is unbelievable.

At the same time I put pressure on myself also just thinking about it and trying to impress everybody, trying to get the result that everybody wants out of me.

Yeah, honestly, I wouldn't change anything what's happened in the last month. I have had my best experiences as a professional player. I've had a crowd chanting my name, I've had the whole of Australia behind me, which is a feeling that I'll never forget, and hopefully I'll get more of.

Q. What do you walk away and practice now, given what you've done in the last month?

ALEXEI POPYRIN: Mate, I'm more motivated than ever to just hit the training court when I get back. I'm going to take a few days off when I get back home. I don't know when that will be because I have doubles with Marc Polmans tomorrow. I'm going to look forward to the doubles.

When I get back home, I'm going to put my head down and I'm going to work again. Like I said on court after the Fritz match, I want more of the feeling I had after that match, not more of what I had after this match which was pure hurt, pain, that I couldn't capitalize on the opportunity that I had to make the second week of a slam.

I've been in this situation three times already in Australian Open, two times in US Open. I'm not new to the situation, losing in the third round. I do really want to make a second week.

Mate, I'm more motivated than ever to put my head down, to get back to work, keep improving. From where I was three months ago to where I am now, there's a huge difference.

Q. Do you have a ranking figure that you're aiming for between now and the end of the year?

ALEXEI POPYRIN: No. The only figure I'm looking at is the amount of hours that I'm training. That's the only figure that I'm looking at. I'm not look at the ranking. I'm not looking at anything honestly.

I looked at the ranking the first time this year after this match to see where I am after this tour. I'm back in the top hundred, which is a huge achievement, which was my goal at the start of the year, after the Aussie trip, to be back inside the top hundred, then I can build on from there. That's what I did.

I did more than I expected. If you told me at the start of the year that I was going to play a quarterfinals in the first week, I was going to play a great match against Kok in the second week, make the third round of Aussie Open and beat two top-10 players in one month, I would have taken it hands down.

I can't be disappointed. I can only reflect and learn from what happened out there today. I have done. I will keep learning.