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Five reasons we love Alexei Popyrin

Five reasons we love Alexei Popyrin

At Melbourne Park, Popyrin upstaged Taylor Fritz in a five-set epic in 2023 in front of a raucous John Cain Arena crowd.

Expect him to loom dangerously once more against the world’s best at AO 2025.

4. His offensive game

Popyrin knows how to attack, with big weapons assisting in his impressive rise this year.

Currently ranked eighth in the world for aces per match, at 10.2, his serve is troubling for his opponents – just ask Djokovic. “If he serves well, plays well, he can beat anybody,” Djokovic said following their US Open clash.

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Coupled with a powerful forehand, the Aussie is a fun watch when his offensive game is thriving.

At AO 2024 he smacked 20 aces among 56 total winners to beat Marc Polmans in straight sets, and despite a four-set second-round loss to Djokovic, hit 21 more winners (52-31 total) past the Serbian legend.

5. His never-say-die attitude

Everyone loves an Aussie battler, someone who gives 110 per cent and will not throw in the towel.

Popyrin is one such player.

In the past four seasons alone Popyrin has played 10 five-set matches at Grand Slam events, and on three occasions has bounced back from two-sets-to-one down to triumph.

Three of his five-set matches in the span have been wins over seeded opponents.

He’ll stay out there for as long as it takes, and buoyed by the energy of his home crowd, that could translate to more success at Australian Open 2025.