Alexei Popyrin has a 'big-man tennis' problem

Alexei Popyrin

Balance of power: Why Alexei Popyrin isn't looking for 'tradeoff tennis'

Aussie prepares for ATP Masters 1000 title defence in Toronto

Peter Staples/ATP Tour Alexei Popyrin defeated World No. 8 Andrew Rublev in the Montreal final last year to claim the biggest title of his career. By Paul Macpherson

Alexei Popyrin has a ‘Big Man Tennis’ problem.

His natural high-octane game built around a massive serve, heavy firepower from the ground and ability to finish at net give him capabilities of which most players can only dream.

But when early-round losses begin to accumulate, can you throttle back to find consistency? And if you can, what is the opportunity cost?

These are the questions vexing the World No. 26 Australian as he enters perhaps the most critical part of his season. This time last year he bolted like a 50-1 Kentucky Derby outsider to win the ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal and soon after stunned Novak Djokovic on Arthur Ashe Stadium in the third round of the US Open.

That wasn’t done by playing conservatively. But sustaining that level has proven elusive.

"On a good day I feel that Alexei has one of the best serves on tour. It's tough to read and to return,” Daniil Medvedev told ATPTour.com. The Former World No. 1, who leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 4-1, is seeded to meet Popyrin in the third round of the National Bank Open in Toronto.

“He has great potential, like we saw in Montreal last year when his game was on fire. In matches where he doesn't miss it gets tricky. He can slice well and prepare for the strong forehand. But there have been matches when he misses a lot so you try to hang in there and try to win the match. Right now he can be too up and down."

Popyrin, 25, is unlikely to dispute that frank assessment. Last year he was unable to convert the momentum he had coming out of the US Open, winning just three matches in his final four tournaments of the season. It should be noted, however, that he did beat Matteo Berrettini and Medvedev to reach the third round of the Rolex Paris Masters as he ended the year with a 28-22 record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

Last week in Washington, Popyrin slipped to a 12-16 season record after his ninth opening-round loss of the year. While surely willing himself to a big run in Toronto, Popyrin will be mindful that his dream of a successful title defence starts with consistent performances in the early rounds.

“Against Novak, I think everybody always knew that I'm capable of producing a one-match stunner,” Popyrin said… “But I want to get back to winning the matches that I should be winning, stringing together wins and then giving a good account in the matches that I'm the underdog. Winning the Masters was easily a bigger buzz than the US Open win over Novak because I put together six matches consecutively against Top 20 opponents and beat them all.

“As you look for that consistency, you don't want to take away anything from your big explosive game; it’s more about staying in rallies longer and waiting for the right opportunity rather than going for an unbelievable shot.”

One year on from his Montreal title, the bill has come due. Popyrin is No. 26 in the PIF ATP Rankings. But for a calendar shift related to Toronto's move to an expanded 12-day event, Popyrin would already have dropped his 1000 champion's points and be just outside the Top 50 of the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

“I'd be lying if I said there's no pressure [defending the Canada title],” he said. “Every year you have to go in defending points. This year is just a big chunk of points that go out because of an amazing result that happened the year before… Going into Toronto, I’m trying to not put too much pressure on myself and I know that once those points are off, I'll have like a little bit of a weight lifted off my shoulders.”

At 6’ 5”, Popyrin has an advantage over most players his size: his movement. Coaches Neville Godwin and Wayne Ferreira (who joined the team in April) have helped the three-time ATP Tour champion realise that he doesn’t need to force his way out of defence with one shot. He has the legs to dig in for the long haul and work back into a neutral position.

His fellow Australian Alex de Minaur, known as one of the game’s elite movers, said Popyrin’s court coverage was highly underrated. “For a big, tall guy Pop’s movement is extremely good,” the recent Washington ATP 500 champion told ATPTour.com. “So he’s got the ability to play a big brand of tennis and go after shots on his terms, but he’s also got the ability to retrieve and defend with his legs, giving his opponents something else to think about.”

Popyrin was chuffed to hear De Minaur’s praise when ATPTour.com sat down with him in Washington.

“People see me as tall and lanky, very uncoordinated, and think I might be a slow mover,” Popyrin said. “But I feel movement comes naturally to me, that I’m quite quick for a big guy and I can get out of corners quite easily. I definitely see it as a weapon of mine.”

Leading into the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in April, Popyrin onboarded former World No. 6 Ferreira, who replaced Xavier Malisse in the dual coach setup with fellow South African Godwin.

While Popyrin says that both Godwin and Ferreira bring different strengths to the team, he insists on them first talking to each other before coming to him with a united voice.

“You've got two great tennis brains thinking about you, which is very beneficial,” he said. “But I prefer for them to agree on ideas before they bring them to me,” he said. “I like to get the same message from both coaches.

“I've had the dual coach set up for a while. Neville worked with Xavier Malisse for two years before and we went from being ranked 120 to Top 20, basically. Since Wayne came in, I feel like my year has been trending upwards. He’s been a great addition. The start of the year was really difficult for me. But we were able to get over that hurdle.”

Photo Credit: Alexei Popyrin

Off the court, Popyrin also feels he is on an upward trajectory as he looks ahead to his wedding to fiance Amy Pederick. The city and venue have been decided, but for now, they remain a secret.

“I've left all the planning to her,” he said. “She's done an unbelievable job. She's already found our venue, she's found the date. We’re going to get married next year around September time. So it’s something we're really looking forward to. We're definitely planning it. We're trying to get my sister over from Australia and the whole family to come and her whole family and our friends. It's something really exciting and something that we're both looking very forward to.”

Popyrin begins his title defence Tuesday in Toronto third match from 11 a.m. against 18-year-old Canadian wild card Nicolas Arseneault, who is making his main-draw Tour-level debut.

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