Popyrin shares Hewitt advice following Montreal title

Alexei Popyrin delivered for Australia at the Omnium Banque Nationale présenté par Rogers in Montreal on Monday when he became the first Aussie ATP Masters 1000 winner since Lleyton Hewitt triumphed in Indian Wells 21 years ago in 2003.

Popyrin defeated Andrey Rublev in the final to claim the biggest title of his career and revealed that former World No. 1 Hewitt offered him important advice ahead of the hard-court event that gave him a boost in Canada.

“Lleyton was actually with me at the Olympics last week and he helped me so much in the Olympics and has helped me so much throughout my career. He gave me some good advice after my match against Zverev at the Olympics,” said Popyrin, who lost to the German in Paris. “He said, ‘You took one of the best players in the world, one of the more informed players in the world, to kind of play some unbelievable tennis to beat you’. I was a break up in that match, so serving for the [first] set and kind of choked it.

“He kind of flipped the switch on it and kind of told me a positive overlook on that match and then gave me the confidence coming into this week.”

Popyrin played with a renewed sense of believe all week in Montreal and thundered 18 forehand winners in the final. The 25-year-old believes his attacking display against Rublev was one of the best performances of his life.

“I would say it's one of the best matches I've played in my life. I think it's not a level that I haven't seen myself produce in practise or an occasional match here and there, but considering the occasion, considering what we were playing for, I think with the level that I played, it probably is the best match that I've played in my life," Popyrin said.

“For me, I'm not kind of most proud about how I played in this final. It's more how I played throughout the whole week. The level that I produced the whole week to play these top guys. To beat them with the level of tennis that I showed was really a testament to everything.”

Popyrin earned three Top 10 wins en route to the title in Montreal, while he defeated five Top 20 players in total to become the first player to achieve that feat at a Masters 1000 event since Holger Rune in Paris in 2022.

The 25-year-old overcame Sebastian Korda to reach the final and then showed little nerves in the title match against Rublev. The Australian is pleased with how he handled the occasion on Court Central.

“I felt pretty calm. What I work for is to play in matches like this, and there's no point in going out there nervous or scared of the occasion when you've worked your whole life to play matches like this,” Popyrin said.

“For me, I really enjoy playing big matches. I really enjoy playing finals and semifinals and big tournaments in front of a big crowd on a big court. For me that's where I feel like I play my best tennis. I came out there. I wanted to put a statement in the first game and I think I did that.”

Popyrin arrived in Canada at No. 62 in the PIF ATP Rankings but has climbed 39 spots to a career-high No. 23 after winning his third tour-level title. The Australian feels his victory is a reward for the hard work.

“At the early start of my career it was to not get injured and just play and just not get injured. Now it is building a body, building an athlete that we've been doing for two years now,” Popyrin said.

“I felt it out there. Especially the last three matches the past two days. Coming off two tough matches yesterday and to come out and feel the way I did on the court, it just shows that all of the work that we're putting in we're building an athlete. I don't think we're done yet. My fitness coach is telling me I've got a lot of work to do still. I'm not looking forward to it, but I'm going to do it. That's for sure.”