Alexei Popyrin: Hamilton, fried chicken & Novak Djokovic’s revenge | ATP Tour

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Popyrin: Hamilton, fried chicken & Djokovic’s revenge

Aussie reflects success and memories of New York

August 31, 2024

Alexei Popyrin was watching the Broadway production of Hamilton in Manhattan last week when he got off his seat during intermission.

“I went to the bathroom, but there was this huge line, and this guy came up to me and said, ‘Hey, well done in Montreal’,” Popyrin, who stunned Novak Djokovic on Friday in the third round of the US Open, told ATPtour.com. . “[It was] in a big crowd, so it was cool.”

A fan was congratulating the Australian on his recent success at the Omnium Banque Nationale presented par Rogers, where he won his first ATP Masters 1000 title. Previously, the 25-year-old had only reached one quarter-final at the level. Recently he has been stopped by fans several times a day on the street.

“I don’t think that much obviously [Carlos] Alcaraz and all the top guys, but I get dropped once or twice a day, three times a day sometimes. “But every day I get recognized at least once or twice when I walk the streets,” said Popyrin. “Off the court, I’m a free-spirited guy. I like to go about my business and not talk or talk about exchanges or anything like that. I think anyone likes attention when they get it.

“I enjoyed the extra attention after Montreal. But to be honest, it’s not something I play. It’s not what I like. It’s not my focus at the end of the day. For me, it’s just playing out there, being the key player on the field and leaving the court being who I am.”

Watch Montreal’s Final Highlights:

Off the court, Popyrin is a simple man. He enjoys spending time with his loved ones and playing golf. In New York, an Australian loves a restaurant.

“I like to go to different restaurants. The other night, in fact, we went to this fried chicken [restaurant]. It was funny. Coqodaq is called. I think Reilly [Opelka] he is an investor in that,” said Popyrin. “We went there. One of the [coach Xavier Malisse’s] friends actually provide caviar for the restaurant. It was an unbelievable meal. You get a bucket, then you get plain chicken, then you get soy glaze or spicy chicken. But the guy we were with ordered all three, so we had two buckets of big chicken.”

Not every trip to New York has been so rosy for the Australians. The first time he was in the province, he arrived at the age of eight when he connected to the airport.

“It was just one day, and my little sister, almost two years old, was really sick,” said Popyrin. “He fainted at the airport and we had to go to the hospital here in New York, so that was my first experience here in New York. I was eight, nine years old. We were on our way to play [the] Nike Junior Tour in Punta Cana. “

The next time Popyrin returned to New York was in 2016 in a boys’ singles event. The Aussie lost in the second round to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final in three sets.

“The first time I was here in the big grass area, there were hamburgers for lunch, and that’s what we ate every day, me, my brother and my mother,” said Popyrin. “Also, sometimes we would go and deliver fried chicken to the community, where the people of the community eat their food, then we would sit with the community and eat our food, and then I would go play a game. Nobody knew who I was at the time, so we took full advantage of that.”

Popyrin added that New York is “probably one of the busiest cities in the world”. Between the noise and the traffic, he said two weeks or more is the best he can spend here. But the 28th seed has been taking advantage of the city’s entertainment, like when he went to see Hamilton, which he really enjoyed.

“[It was] it’s unbelievable. I think theater is becoming one of my favorite things to watch. In London, we went to the Book of Mormon, which was very funny. It was unbelievable. I really enjoyed it. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s funny,” said Popyrin. “Then here we go to Hamilton, and they’re all talented. The people who sing and play there are unbelievable.

“I enjoy my history. I enjoy watching TV shows that are back in time. I actually studied during Hamilton, as I suppose you can. But I actually learned a little bit about American history and how it was built, the history of Alexander Hamilton. “

The backstory of Popyrin’s relationship with the man who upset him in the third round, Djokovic, began when the Australian was 12 years old. Training under Riccardo Piatti at the time, he took a photo with the Serbian in Monte-Carlo.

More than a decade later, they have met four times in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, with Djokovic winning the 2024 Australian Open and Wimbledon before Popyrin changed the script at the US Open.

“I think he is very strong. He doesn’t give you anything at all. I don’t think anyone likes playing him, to be honest. Not new news, I guess. But I shoot myself,” said Popyrin.

“Now that I’m here, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to try to get revenge for the two times I played with him. If I win, I’ll be like, ‘F yeah’. But if I lose, I will be almost [thinking]’No, I won’t do it again’.”

Popyrin took revenge.