Alexei Popyrin targets Jannik Sinner upset at US Open: “Everybody has a weakness”

NEW YORK — Can lightning strike twice for Alexei Popyrin at the US Open?

For the second year in a row, the Australian is set to face the tournament’s defending champion, this time world No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday.

Last year, Popyrin shocked the tennis world with his third-round win over Novak Djokovic, who was chasing his record 25th Grand Slam title. Now he’s hoping for more of the same after defeating Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3) to set up a second-round meeting with Sinner.

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“Jannik is the best in the world, and he’s one of the best for a reason,” Popyrin told press on Tuesday. “But I don’t feel too starstruck by the occasion. I’ve been in that position before—I think last year is a great example of it.

“For me, I feel like if I can stick to my game, if I can play the way I want to play, then I can cause trouble.”

That Djokovic win was a career highlight. It was Popyrin’s third Grand Slam meeting with Djokovic that year, having taken sets off him at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon before Djokovic prevailed. But in New York, Popyrin turned the tables, arriving fresh after winning his biggest title to date at the ATP Masters 1000 in Montreal and stunning Djokovic in four sets.

This season has been different. Currently ranked No. 36, Popyrin’s best results are quarterfinal runs in Monte Carlo and Toronto. Without a title coming into the US Open, he admits confidence isn’t quite as high but says he’s leaning on his experience and preparation.

“I think there’s a game plan to beat anybody, I think everybody has some sort of weakness,” he said. “A lot of the top guys, they hide it really really well… But I feel like everyone does have a weakness.”

“I just have to focus on myself, just have to focus on what I’m doing,” he added. “For me, that’s playing aggressive and playing my game. I have to focus on myself and just doing what I’ve been doing in the last couple of months, because it’s been working.”

Popyrin actually holds the head-to-head edge over Sinner, though their only meeting came on clay in Madrid in 2021—a lifetime ago considering the Italian’s surge to the top. Sinner is now world No. 1 and the reigning champion at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open.

“He’s just an unbelievable ballstriker,” Popyrin said of Sinner. “You give him a little bit of time, if you give him a slow ball, he’ll put you away. If you hit the same rhythm to him all the time, he’ll be unbelievable.

“His serve has improved over the years, and I think that’s what got him to where he is now… his returns are good. He’s just an all-around great player and an unbelievable mover too.”

Could Popyrin be primed for another upset? Just over a week ago, Sinner was forced to retire from the Cincinnati final against Carlos Alcaraz due to illness, which also kept him out of US Open mixed doubles with Katerina Siniakova.

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Sinner looked fully recovered on Monday, cruising past Vit Kopriva 6-1, 6-1, 6-2. But Popyrin remains optimistic.

“I always say I’m able to go toe-to-toe with the top guys,” Popyrin said. “I know I am, and I’ve shown that in the past. But for me it’s a matter of consistency. It’s about bringing that level all the time. That’s where I struggle, and that’s where the top guys don’t. If I’m able to do that, I see myself where they are.”