World No.28 Alexei Popyrin begins his US Open 2024 singles campaign with a comprehensive first-round win.
New York, USA, 27 August 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Competing at a Grand Slam for the first time as a seeded player, Alexei Popyrin proved why he belongs among the sport’s elite.
The 28th seed fired 14 aces in a comfortable 7-5 6-2 6-3 victory against Korean Soonwoo Kwon in opening-round action today at US Open 2024.
Popyrin’s growing confidence showed in the two-hour and one-minute encounter at Court 12, winning 92 per cent of his first-serve points and tallying 37 winners in total.
It is the world No.28’s most comprehensive victory ever recorded at Flushing Meadows and improves Popyrin’s recent record to seven wins from his past eight matches.
Asked pre-tournament if he felt any extra pressure as a seeded player, Popyrin declared: “I feel exactly the same, same old Alexei Popyrin.”
“It’s no different at all,” he elaborated to Stan Sport. “Just because you’ve got a number next to your name, it doesn’t mean anything you know.”
Yet the humble Popyrin’s stunning run at Montreal earlier this month, where he defeated five top-20 players to become the first Australian to win an ATP Masters 1000 singles title in 21 years, has certainly inspired his peers.
“It’s amazing to see, I’m super happy for him,” Australian No.1 Alex de Minaur said in New York this week. “We’ve grown up together. He was going through a bit of a rough patch this year and he’s just turned it around with the flick of a switch and gone out there and won one of the biggest tournaments on the tour. He played unbelievable tennis all week and showed the kind of level that everyone knew he could do.
“For him to do it in the manner that he did it, beating great players, not having an easy draw and doing it the proper way, it’s very inspiring,” added Aleksandar Vukic, who is among the 45-year high cohort of 12 Australians in this year’s US Open men’s singles draw.
Looking to build on his major breakthrough, Popyrin now turns his attention to a second-round meeting with either world No.43 Pedro Martinez of Spain or Polish qualifier Maks Kasnikowski.
The 25-year-old Aussie is aiming to match his career-best result at Flushing Meadows, having previously reached the third round in 2019 and 2021.
Aussies in action – US Open
RESULTS
Men’s singles, first round
[28] Alexei Popyrin (AUS) d Soonwoo Kwon (KOR) 7-5 6-2…
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