Inspired by Michael Jordan and Andy Murray after “least enjoyable” season
He spoke at a time when he needed a “complete and total break from tennis.”
“I needed to rest,” Popyrin said this week, reflecting.
“I went almost two and a half to three months in a row without a break and it was just traveling, practicing, playing and I think it got to the point the week before Wimby where I didn’t feel ready and that was already the second slam that it had happened.
“It was probably the least enjoyable year of my career so far, but I learned a lot of lessons about how I want to approach the rest of my career.”
It’s easy to understand why Popyrin is struggling when you factor in the pressure of defending the most points of his career from his landmark Masters 1000 title victory in Montreal in August 2024.
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De Minaur, Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper and Iga Swiatek were among the high-profile stars to lament the brutal nature of the tennis calendar this year.
But Popyrin is taking a different approach when planning a return to the upper echelons.
“I’m in the middle or end of my career, so I feel like I want to start enjoying traveling. I want to enjoy all the countries I go to,” he said.
“I listen to my coaches, Wayne [Ferreira] and Nev [Godwin]I also listened to interviews with Michael Jordan and Andy Murray. They all say they regret not being able to enjoy him more after he left. They all say it’s the best thing that ever happened to them.
“You can’t feel the feeling of playing sports anywhere else. I don’t want to regret not enjoying sports at the end of my career.”
Popyrin’s fiancée, Amy Pederick, already travels with him to nearly every tournament, but he plans to bring more family with him as he negotiates the tour.
He also plans to see more of the countries he travels to as part of this mentality transformation.
Popyrin and Pederick also used this extended offseason, which officially ends Friday when preseason begins, to live like “normal people.” Instead of going on holiday, they chose to stay in Dubai and enjoy the comfort of home-cooked meals and spending time with their families.
As he prepares for the Australian Open in the coming weeks, he will trade blows on the court with names such as Karen Khachanov, Miomir Kecmanovic, Denis Shapovalov and Draper.
Popyrin will start the season in Brisbane.
Popyrin’s win at the Canadian Open in 2024 was the biggest victory of his career.Credit: Getty Images
“I’m really looking forward to coming home. It’s my favorite time of year,” she said.
“I’m also able to spend time with my family in Australia. That’s going to be a big thing for me next year; trying to enjoy being on tour as much as possible. It’ll be incredible to start in Australia, in front of the home fans. I’m honestly looking forward to it.”
Alexei Popyrin is an ambassador for Emirates, which will host a Dubai-themed suite at next year’s Australian Open..
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