AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2026

Alexei Popyrin

Press Conference

A. MULLER/A. Popyrin

2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Alexei, really tough match. Could you walk us through what you're feeling right now.

ALEXEI POPYRIN: Yeah, disappointment. Yeah, obviously not happy. Felt like I was in control nearly all the match. Couldn't close it out. That's about it.

Q. Alexei, you were named on the list for Davis Cup in February and Lleyton said he would have loved to have you available for Davis Cup. Can you talk about your decision making there and if you have any plans to play Davis Cup in the future?

ALEXEI POPYRIN: Yeah, I think it's a little bit tricky to talk about it now, after such a loss. Not a good timing of a question.

Yeah, I think nothing beats playing for your country, but at the same time I have to think about my year. Davis Cup comes at a time in February and in a location where I don't have any points to defend for quite a while. I feel like it's a good opportunity for me to climb the rankings, and if I sacrifice that to play Davis Cup in Ecuador, where there's altitude and on clay, it will take two weeks out of the year where I could be playing somewhere else, at this current moment in the year, then yeah.

I'd love to play. I'd love to play for my country, but it just didn't match the schedule.

Q. On the match, Alexei, you felt like you were in control. Where do you feel like it started to go away from you? You had quite a few moments there.

ALEXEI POPYRIN: I felt when the balls were new and the court was playing a little bit faster, I was totally in control. Once the balls started to get a little bit older, you know, he moves well and he grinds really well, so it's in his favor. My serve wasn't as effective even though I felt like I served ridiculously well today.

I just couldn't come up with the finishing touch nearly three times today, I think, and that's really disappointing. But you know you can look at the positives.

Q. Been a tricky Aussie summer for you. How do you reflect on it, when do you think it will turn for you?

ALEXEI POPYRIN: I don't know. I don't know. For me it's really tough to take. I just think I do a lot. I work a lot. I think about my career a lot.

Yeah, and to have results like this and to have results that I've had the last couple of months, and obviously to start the year, it's not easy to take, even though I feel like I'm playing well and I feel like I'm doing everything that I want to do.

Yeah, the results are just not coming, and I guess that's tennis at sometimes. But you have to sometimes maybe, when it keeps happening, keeps on happening, maybe I have to look at myself and see and really look deep inside because it can't keep going on like this.

Q. The calf you're getting treatment on, is it okay?

ALEXEI POPYRIN: Yeah, I don't know. It wasn't an injury, it was more of something I've been dealing with over the last couple of months. Yeah, it kind of flared up there.

Then obviously with all the nerves and the hype and everything like that... I usually don't cramp, but it's already now two years in a row that on this court I cramp. I really want to put on a show and really want to win for the crowd. They're there for me, and I can't win (tearing up). Yeah, so it's not easy, yeah.