OMNIUM BANQUE NATIONALE

August 11, 2024

Alexei Popyrin

Press Conference

A. POPYRIN/H. Hurkacz

3-6, 7-6, 7-5

Q. Alexei, you're through to a first Masters semifinal. First of all, tell us what it means.

ALEXEI POPYRIN: It means a lot. I've put a lot of work in this year and last year, but especially this year, and it hasn't really paid off for me.

You know, it finally has paid off a little bit, and hopefully it just keeps going because I'm putting in the work. This is a testament to all the work that I've put in.

Q. Two top-10 wins I think for the first time in a tournament back-to-back, and they came off the back of a win against Ben Shelton. Talk to me about what is going so well right now.

ALEXEI POPYRIN: You know, I think all year I've been playing well on the hard courts. Had a few injuries at the start of the year. Missed three important tournaments for me... one in Australia, one in Dubai, one at Indian Wells. So those are three really big tournaments that I missed, but the level of tennis that I was playing at the start of the year was high.

I played Novak in the Aussie open, made semis of Doha before I got my injury, and played a good tournament in Miami. Then I think all of that feeling from the hard court early on in the year has just progressed onto the hard court towards the end, and it's a really good feeling.

Q. Seb Korda has just come through a thriller against Sascha Zverev. You're going to play for a place in the final in a couple of hours. It's a huge opportunity for both of you. How do you approach the next couple of hours?

ALEXEI POPYRIN: Honestly I think we're just going to have to recover. I think it's going to be the first time either -- I don't know how long he played, but I played 2 hours, 45. It's the first time I'm going to be playing two hours, 45 and coming to play another match in two, three hours.

It will be an experience for both of us, but I think I'm ready. I think, like I said, I've done a lot of work this year and physically done so much work.

We'll see how much more work I have to put in, if I have to put any. But, yeah, it's going to be fun out there.