Cheeky Popyrin sneaks a peek
Australia’s world No.43 Alexei Popyrin says he will not allow himself to think about a potential second-round clash with Novak Djokovic until he has a win under his belt at the Australian Open.
Popyrin has been dealt one of the toughest runs of the 13 Australian men already in the main draw, but his close friend Marc Polmans – his first-round opponent – has an equal claim.
The duo played doubles at Melbourne Park in 2023 and will play off for the right to face the world No.1 in round 2, provided he gets past his qualifying opponent. The 24-year-old Popyrin cheekily pointed out a first-round Djokovic victory was not a given.
“I’m just taking it one match at a time now, but if you want me to think ahead, it’s going to be great,” he said when asked about the likely showdown.
“You just focus on your first round ... (Djokovic) has got to win his first round, too!
“Once you get past that first match, then you can start thinking about it.”
Popyrin was confident he had overcome the left glute issue that plagued him as he gave up a big third-set lead and five match points to Roman Safiullin in the Brisbane International last week.
The injury forced him to withdraw from the Adelaide International, but he said his glute now felt “as good as normal” after a workout at Melbourne Park on Thursday.
“We’re going to up the intensity and then we’ll be ready for the start of the tournament for sure,” he said.
Popyrin was the chief entertainer on John Cain Arena at last year’s Open, winning consecutive five-set marathons including a stunning victory over eighth seed Taylor Fritz.