ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL

January 12, 2026

Alexei Popyrin

Press Conference

R. OPELKA/A. Popyrin

6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Alexei, tough match. Do you want to start by talking us through the match.

ALEXEI POPYRIN: Yeah, I think you play a player like that it can go either way. He played a ridiculous game to break me. He hit three forehand passing shots. I don't think I did anything wrong in that game. And then when he's serving above 80 percent first serves, at his height, it's quite hard to break him.

But in the second set I felt like I neutralized his serve pretty well, had plenty of chances, got into games a little bit better.

Then in the tiebreak when he doesn't miss a first serve in the tiebreak it's hard to mini break him there. I did hit a couple forehand unforced errors towards the end there which I think cost me the match, but overall I'm not too disappointed.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in the room, please.

Q. In that first set, is it one of those things where it's just a bit undoable? Like he's just crushing those forehands, hitting those serves, there's not much you can do to get into the game?

ALEXEI POPYRIN: Yeah, if he's serving, I don't think he missed a first serve in his first three service games. Then when I was serving, that one game which he broke me, he managed to chip in a few returns. And then I played the point I thought pretty well, and he managed to pass me three times somehow. Which, I don't think my volleys were that bad, and I don't think the point construction was that bad. So it's just something you just have to applaud and say, Okay, too good there. It's a shame it happened against me, but that's tennis.

Q. Just in that second set, it looked like you were getting, when you went to the umpire, with him just aborting the serve, like right in the shot clock. What was going through your mind?

ALEXEI POPYRIN: Yeah, I think he did it a few times. I just told the umpire to keep an eye on it. Yeah, that was towards the end of the tiebreak. I think when things were getting tight he was using that to his advantage. The ref sometimes, depending upon which referee you've got, they will caution you or not. Adel decided not to and, yeah.

Q. Big picture, does it shake your belief in what you're doing this year after a difficult last year, or is it just on to the AO now?

ALEXEI POPYRIN: No, I think if you look at the last two matches that I played I've come across two players that, I think this week Reilly played pretty well, served pretty well, and there was not much I could do. Last week I think Quentin played one of the best matches that I've seen him play.

So the level from my side was really high last week. And then this week I'm proud of the way I kind of stuck in there. I think everything that we've been doing is good and it's working. It might not be showing in the first two weeks of the year, but I'm looking forward to the AO, I think I can do some stuff there.

Q. When you say, do some stuff, do you set goals for that?

ALEXEI POPYRIN: No, I let you set those goals (laughing).

Q. Tough 2025. Has it been anything different you've done in preparation for this year, and how are you feeling physically and mentally?

ALEXEI POPYRIN: Yeah, physically, mentally I think I'm feeling the best I've felt in a long time. I'm just trying to enjoy traveling again, enjoy my time off the court with loved ones, do some stuff that I love.

I think, yeah, last year I didn't quite enjoy traveling, enjoy my time, and that kind of affected the way I prepared for tournaments and the way I was practicing. I didn't have the best mentality, and then it kind of translated into matches.

This year I've been practicing really well. We've all been really, really positive in the camp. I think, yeah, it's only a matter of time before results will come along.