Alexei Popyrin becomes the last Aussie standing at French Open after overcoming years of injuries and setbacks
Australian tennis star Alexei Popyrin has reached the fourth round of the French Open for the first time in his career and is poised to crack the world top 20 in the second week on the Paris clay.
The 25-year-old Sydneysider produced a composed and clinical performance to defeat Portugal's Nuno Borges 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(5) in hot, punishing conditions on Court 7 in Paris.
The win propels Popyrin into the second week of a Grand Slam for only the second time in his career, and for the first time at Roland Garros – a tournament where he had previously struggled to find rhythm or consistency on the red clay.
'It was a really good match from my point,' he said after sealing victory.
'Happy I wrapped it up in three sets. It's really hot out there, really difficult conditions.'
Popyrin has long been considered one of Australia's most talented ball strikers, but his path through the ATP ranks has been anything but linear.
Since winning the 2017 Roland Garros junior title, he's battled inconsistent form, coaching changes, and several injury setbacks, including groin and shoulder problems that derailed his momentum at key points in past seasons.
His breakout at this year's French Open comes as a welcome surprise for Aussie fans, particularly after top seed Alex de Minaur exited in the second round.
'We all expected Demon to be in the fourth round,' Popyrin admitted.
'I don't think I could have thought that – Alex is probably the most consistent player on tour – but that's the case now. I'm only focusing on myself. I want to keep going as far as I can, that's all I'm thinking.'
Popyrin's performance against Borges showed a level of maturity that has often eluded him in previous campaigns.
He was aggressive on serve, dominating with 12 aces and winning over 80 per cent of first-serve points.
He also handled the pressure moments with far more composure than in previous Grand Slam showings.
'I played the first set-and-a-half really, really solid, how I've been playing all week,' Popyrin said.
'But had a bit of a mental slip-up at the end of the second but managed to dig deep in the tiebreak.'
It was a match that tested both his physical and mental resilience.
'The third set was more a mental battle than a physical battle on my side,' he said.
'Trying to hold serve, and then trying to get opportunities on his return, which I had towards the end. But still managed to kind of keep my head and still play well in the tie-break.'
With the win, Popyrin becomes the last Australian remaining in the men's singles draw, carrying national hopes into the second week of the tournament.
He will now face 12th seed Tommy Paul of the United States, a powerful and athletic baseliner who has already spent over 10 hours on court through three matches.
Paul has played back-to-back five-setters and may be vulnerable to a fresher opponent.
Popyrin, who entered the tournament as the 25th seed, began his campaign with a walkover win when Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka retired due to injury.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
35 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Moment furious Jack Draper breaks advertising board after smashing racquet in shocking Queen's meltdown
Third time in recent months Draper has obliterated frame on court Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) JACK DRAPER broke the electronic advertising hoardings as he smashed his racquet... and crashed out of Queen's. The British No1 was desperate to book his place in the final in West London. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Jack Draper broke the advertising hoarding at Queen's Credit: BBC Sport 9 The electric panel cut out Credit: BBC Sport 9 Draper's own sponsor Dunlop was showing at the time of his outburst Credit: Getty 9 His racquet frame cracked and mangled Credit: Getty 9 Draper appeared to hurt his hand and knee in the incident Credit: PA But he came up just short against Czech ace Jiri Lehecka, losing an agonising semi-final 6-4 4-6 7-5. And Draper's temper boiled over when he lost his serve at a crucial time late in the deciding set. The world No6 - who will be seeded fourth at Wimbledon - was beaten by a stunning clean backhand winner from his opponent to seal the break. And as Draper ran across the back of the Andy Murray Arena court, he let his frustration out. Careful not to damage the manicured lawn, the Sutton star whacked his Dunlop racquet into the electronic board at the side of the court. But as he did so, the screen - ironically showing a red-and-white advert for his own sponsors Dunlop - crackled and then cut out. The top part of the hoarding also came away. But it appeared the damage was not limited to the screen. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Because Draper also cracked right through his frame to break his racquet, sending his shock absorber flying. And it appeared he may have hurt himself too as he checked his hand and hobbled gingerly to his chair for the changeover with blood on his knee. He's very lucky' - Tennis star's racket almost flies into Queen's Club spectator in shocking scenes Draper was given a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct by umpire Adel Nour - having earlier escaped punishment for blasting a ball in anger - to go with his time violation warning. BBC Sport commentator Andrew Cotter said: "Again, the anger shows which you understand. "That racquet has seen better days. He's done a bit of damage and maybe damage to his hand. "Adel Nour had no option at all. Yes, you understand it, this is a big, big event for Draper." After digging a fresh racquet out of his bag, the former US Open semi-finalist could not get the all-important immediate break back as Lehecka served out the win and book his place in the final. But tennis fans on social media were disappointed with Draper's furious outburst. Tennis stars' new careers PLENTY of tennis stars have stayed involved in the sport since retiring. But others pursued very different careers. Here are some of the best… I reached French Open and Wimbledon finals as a teenager but I quit to become a nun I won Wimbledon mixed doubles with my sister but got fed up with English weather so now run luxury B&B I was tipped for stardom aged 12 but retrained to become high-flying lawyer I earned £9m and won French Open before setting up bistro with Brazilian model girlfriend I'm last Frenchman to win Roland Garros, now I'm singer with six albums hitting No1 in charts I'm former world No1 but quit aged 29 - instead I went on to play professional poker and golf I was destined for the top but swapped lobs for labs as award-winning Harvard physicist One said: "Striking the hard-to-maintain grass court in front of your home fans and your knee like a psycho after losing a point, you will never make me like Jack Draper." Another wrote: "Some weak umpiring meant Draper didn't get a warning when he fired a ball earlier. Furious at getting broken at 5-5 in the third he goes after the ad board signage and… breaks it." A third added: "Lehecka breaks and Draper smashes the billboard… hefty fine coming for the Brit." A fourth commented: "Kids will be watching and follow his abysmal behaviour, just like McIlroy launching his golf clubs through the air. There is absolutely no excuse." And a final user wrote: "Pathetic from Draper. Misses a shot and smashes his racquet into the advertising board. Can't stand that sort of behaviour." It is not the first time Draper has destroyed a racquet in recent times. Draper obliterated his frame in Great Britain's Davis Cup defeat to Canada in November and did the same at the Italian Open in Rome last month. But he will be hoping he can channel his concentration into a deep run at Wimbledon, which gets underway next Monday. 9 Draper was broken at 5-5 in the third set Credit: BBC Sport 9 His frustration boiled over as he crashed out in the semis Credit: BBC Sport 9 Draper tossed away the mangled frame a the changeover Credit: Getty 9 Blood was spotted on his knee following the racquet smash Credit: BBC Sport
The Sun
35 minutes ago
- The Sun
Tennis star Jiri Lehecka's girlfriend breaks down in tears live on BBC after his win over Brit Jack Draper
JIRI LEHECKA scored a brilliant win over Jack Draper - and it was all too much for girlfriend Lucka Neumannova. The Czech ace stunned the British No. 1 to book his place in Sunday's final at Queen's Club. 5 5 5 5 Lehecka smashed 16 aces on his way to a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 win in the London sunshine. And watching on from the Queen's terraces was stunning partner Lucka. Lehecka's energy-sapping win proved too much for the Czech athlete as she was overcome by emotion. She was spotted bursting into tears while applauding her man's efforts in scorching 30c heat. Lucka was spotted supporting Lehecka in January as he advanced to the 4th round in the Australian Open. The pair have reportedly been dating since last year. A track and field athlete, Lucka has been embracing the London life over the past week. She uploaded a series of snaps to her 129,000 Instagram fans ahead of Saturday's semi-final at Queen's. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK The 22-year-old tucked into strawberries and cream, before heading for a run around a nearby park. Lehecka will face either World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz or Roberto Bautista Agut in Sunday's final. Medical emergency stops Jack Draper's Queen's match as distressed fans are picked up on TV The win was one of the biggest of his career and sees him reach a first-ever grass-court final. Lehecka said: "It means a lot, you don't beat a player like Jack every day. "I want to say thanks to [the crowd] for making it fair. "I know your favourite didn't win today, but I really appreciate you being fair and clapping when I hit a few good [shots]." It proved a day to forget for No. 2 seed Draper, who had been an overwhelming favourite to reach tomorrow's final. He let his frustration boil over midway through the match, smashing his racquet to bits and appearing to break the courtside ad hoardings. Despite failing to break a nine-year run without a Brit winner at Queen's, Draper's run to the semis was crucial for his ranking. Draper has now climbed above Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz, cementing a top-four seeding at Wimbledon. He will therefore avoid Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner until the semi-finals.
The Sun
35 minutes ago
- The Sun
Moment furious Jack Draper breaks advertising board after smashing racquet in shocking Queen's meltdown
JACK DRAPER broke the electronic advertising hoardings as he smashed his racquet... and crashed out of Queen's. The British No1 was desperate to book his place in the final in West London. 9 9 9 9 9 But he came up just short against Czech ace Jiri Lehecka, losing an agonising semi-final 6-4 4-6 7-5. And Draper's temper boiled over when he lost his serve at a crucial time late in the deciding set. The world No6 - who will be seeded fourth at Wimbledon - was beaten by a stunning clean backhand winner from his opponent to seal the break. And as Draper ran across the back of the Andy Murray Arena court, he let his frustration out. Careful not to damage the manicured lawn, the Sutton star whacked his Dunlop racquet into the electronic board at the side of the court. But as he did so, the screen - ironically showing a red-and-white advert for his own sponsors Dunlop - crackled and then cut out. The top part of the hoarding also came away. But it appeared the damage was not limited to the screen. Because Draper also cracked right through his frame to break his racquet, sending his shock absorber flying. And it appeared he may have hurt himself too as he checked his hand and hobbled gingerly to his chair for the changeover with blood on his knee. Draper was given a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct by umpire Adel Nour - having earlier escaped punishment for blasting a ball in anger - to go with his time violation warning. BBC Sport commentator Andrew Cotter said: "Again, the anger shows which you understand. "That racquet has seen better days. He's done a bit of damage and maybe damage to his hand. "Adel Nour had no option at all. Yes, you understand it, this is a big, big event for Draper." After digging a fresh racquet out of his bag, the former US Open semi-finalist could not get the all-important immediate break back as Lehecka served out the win and book his place in the final. But tennis fans on social media were disappointed with Draper's furious outburst. One said: "Striking the hard-to-maintain grass court in front of your home fans and your knee like a psycho after losing a point, you will never make me like Jack Draper." Another wrote: "Some weak umpiring meant Draper didn't get a warning when he fired a ball earlier. Furious at getting broken at 5-5 in the third he goes after the ad board signage and… breaks it." A third added: "Lehecka breaks and Draper smashes the billboard… hefty fine coming for the Brit." A fourth commented: "Kids will be watching and follow his abysmal behaviour, just like McIlroy launching his golf clubs through the air. There is absolutely no excuse." And a final user wrote: "Pathetic from Draper. Misses a shot and smashes his racquet into the advertising board. Can't stand that sort of behaviour." It is not the first time Draper has destroyed a racquet in recent times. Draper obliterated his frame in Great Britain's Davis Cup defeat to Canada in November and did the same at the Italian Open in Rome last month. But he will be hoping he can channel his concentration into a deep run at Wimbledon, which gets underway next Monday. 9 9 9 Wimbledon ditching line judges a double fault for British tennis By Joshua Jones THE absence of line judges at Wimbledon will be a sad sight. For as long as I can remember, the men and women decked out in their Ralph Lauren outfits have been part of the furniture at the All England Club. Yes, they provided some mild entertainment on the court when one would call "fault" with plenty of extra, and unnecessary, gusto and volume that boomed around Centre Court, prompting a snigger from the fans. Then there was the ongoing game of dodgeball they had to play when a big serve nailed a mammoth ace down the line and they had to take rapid evasive action or take a whack to the top of the head. And challenges provided some audience participation, excitedly joining in the clapping countdown before the inevitable "oooh" when the graphic showed just how close the ball was to landing in or out. Purely objectively, Wimbledon's decision to replace line judges with Hawk-Eye Live makes total sense. The accuracy and consistency of calls in real-time will speed things up, save time and should mark the end of arguments over the tight incorrect calls - well, until the technology malfunctions. And Wimbledon's hand was somewhat forced to ditch tradition for their standing in tennis. The Australian Open and US Open already use electronic line calling and the ATP Tour is adopting Hawk-Eye Live across all of its tournaments from 2025. Wimbledon's refusal to comply would leave them lagging behind and exposed to the threat of needless controversy over human error. But the impact - as is so often the case in these decisions - has ramifications further down, below the surface with very little impact on Wimbledon's Championships or the players. It is on the line judges themselves. Approximately 300 officials - aged from 18 to 80 - covered more than 650 matches at Wimbledon. A fraction travel internationally with the circuit but the vast majority of those are part-time line judges based in the UK, earning up to £180 per day to work at the prestigious tournament and their chance to play their part at Wimbledon. For many, they will help out at British tournaments throughout the year, spurred on by the possibility of taking to the lawns of the All England Club. But it is understood many of those officials would be reluctant to work at the lower-level tournaments without the carrot of Wimbledon dangling in the summer. That in turn will put a major stumbling block in the pathway for British tennis umpires, who grind up through the ranks to reach the pinnacle of the sport. Like football with referees, tennis needs umpires and line judges. So the inability to call "out" at Wimbledon could prove to be a major "fault" for the future of the UK's tennis officials and therefore the state of the sport on these shores.
