Nick Kyrgios believes Alexei Popyrin is on the cusp of one thing particular, tipping his fellow Australian for giant issues after his US Open run.
Ranked exterior the highest 50 a month in the past and by no means earlier than having ventured past the third spherical of a grand slam, Popyrin is being branded the brand new “Wizard of Oz” after slaying Novak Djokovic in certainly one of tennis’s colossal upsets.
And Kyrgios was paying consideration, tipping Popyrin as being a future grand slam winner.
“I bought a sense Pop is about to show right into a celebrity,” Kyrgios wrote on X.
“Subsequent yr will likely be his finest yr.
“His consistency is one thing I used to be in search of my complete profession. Genuinely comfortable, man.
“You could have what it takes to win a slam. Bro, go get it.”
Regardless of that approval marrying what Djokovic himself mentioned of his vanquisher, Popyrin is ignoring the hype, sticking stubbornly to his “keep within the now” mantra as Australia’s rising star continues his audacious quest for US Open glory.
With Djokovic becoming a member of reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz on the Open scrap heap, Popyrin has earned himself a severe alternative to go deep in New York.
The 25-year-old faces world quantity 20 Frances Tiafoe on Sunday (9am Monday AEST) for a spot within the final eight.
The victor will play both sixth seed Andrey Rublev, who Popyrin beat in final month’s Montreal Masters closing, or ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov within the quarter-finals, with world quantity 4 Alexander Zverev the highest-ranked participant left within the backside half of the draw.
Popyrin is conscious of the rising pleasure however refusing to stray from the quick process at hand.
“I am not considering that far. I will provide the cliché reply I all the time give: It is all the time the following match for me. I concentrate on the following match and that is it,” he mentioned.
Alexei Popyrin beat Novak Djokovic in 4 units within the third spherical. (AP Picture: Julia Nikhinson)
“My focus is on Frances. If I get previous that, then we’ll concentrate on the following one.
“The most important half about Montreal was I used to be capable of again up massive wins. For me, that is one thing that I’ve actually needed to work on.
“I’ve had the aptitude of successful an enormous match however not with the ability to again it up. This week and Montreal I used to be ready to do this.
“Hopefully I can proceed it this week as a result of that is in all probability the largest win of my profession up to now, ranking-wise [beating Djokovic].”
Tiafoe looms as a formidable problem.
A semi-finalist two years in the past, when he misplaced to eventual champion Alcaraz, and quarter-finalist in 2023, the American loves the massive stage, enjoying in entrance of dwelling followers at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Tiafoe’s showdown with Popyrin has not surprisingly been afforded the prime time slot on Sunday evening in New York.
“He is really a extremely good good friend of mine,” Popyrin mentioned of his last-16 rival.
“We get alongside rather well off the courtroom. Will probably be attention-grabbing to play in opposition to him. We now have practised a bunch of instances.
“Yeah, he is a really tough participant. In all probability has a few of the finest fingers on tour, comes into the online loads, likes to combine it up.
“That is going to be the robust half. I am simply going to should play my recreation, serve nicely.
“I felt like I did not actually serve that nicely [against Djokovic], contemplating the chances and stuff.
“I’ve bought to have to enhance on that.”
AAP/ABC
