August 26, 2024 • 16 mins
Alexei Popyrin is riding a sweet wave after his recent ATP Masters 1000 triumph in Montreal. He enters the US Open with a career-high ranking and is seeded at a Grand Slam for the first time. The 25-year-old sat down with Viv and Jon to talk milestone breakthroughs, Aussie inspiration, and the sacrifices that are helping to turn his long-held tennis dreams into reality.
AusOpen.com
iHeart
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Host handles:
@Viv_Christie
@MattyAT
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello, and welcome to the sitdown. I'm Viv Christie, managing
editor of US joe In Tennis magazine.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
And I'm Mattrolope, a writer for oz open dot Com
and viv this week, why are we sitting down with Alexipopperin.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Well, we are sitting down with Alexi because he is
riding an absolute high in his career at the moment.
He arrives at the US Open as a seated player
for the first time at a Grand Slam tournament, on
the back of his first ATP Master's one thousand title
in Montreal. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Now, I actually didn't do this interview. It was you
and John Hooven, us host of the Aoshow Weekly, and
you guys were lucky enough to catch Alexi early Melbourne
time from New York, which was really cool and it
was just great to hear him talk about the kind
of place he's out in his career at the moment,
the wave of confidence he's riding and you know what
might lie ahead.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Alexi, thank you for joining us today.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yeah, good to be here. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
We are talking to you in what we would have
to describe as a career best season. You've had a
third round run at the Olympics, a series of top
ten wins, and our first ATP Masters one thousand title.
It must be feeling pretty good for you right now.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yeah, it's definitely feeling good. You know, I've had it,
I would say, up to this point, a little up
and down year, topsy turvy year. But yeah, last week
really really showed that I'm able to play at that
level and play consistently at that level, which is, you know,
a testament to all the hard work we've done over
the past two years.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
An incredible run and some big performances within that Montreal
title with wins over Shelton, dimetro of her catch quarter
and rub lev tell me first of all about the
personal significance of this title win.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Yeah, it's definitely it's massive for me. You know, I
don't take many players in their career, go through their
career when you know, and win a Mass one thousand,
and for me to be able to do that is honestly,
it is a dream come true. But at the same time,
you know, the work doesn't stop here. You know, we
still have goals and we saw have ambitions or our
(02:04):
own as a team where as to where we want
to get to it or how we want to play
and it's definitely not the last Master final that I
want to play in and try and win. So you know,
I've got big ambitions and know we were straight back
to work as soon as soon as we were done.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Fantastic attitude. And I'm sure you would have seen some
of the media coverage back home here in Australia where
a lot of the focus was on the historical significance
the first Australian man in twenty one years to win
a title of this magnitude, and of course that was
since Leyton Hewitt. So what does it mean to you
to have been the first man in over two decades
to replicate what he did at Indian Wells in two
(02:43):
thousand and three.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, it's definitely an honor. You know, I think Lane's
been a really big part of kind of my my
professional career, you know, as David's cub captain, as you know,
is kind of, you know, the kind of role model
leader that all Aussie boys inside the top und all
Aussie talnis players kind of looked to. And you know
(03:07):
he's really helped a lot throughout all of our careers
and you know, to have him by my side and
kind of, you know, kind of helped me along the
way is really amazing. And for me to be able
to you know, win this title and first since he
did it is a true honor and definitely something I'm
really proud of, Alexi.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Who else would you say has been influential in your
career so far?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
You know, I think my team right now that I have,
my two coaches have been have been unbelievable for me,
Nevil Godwin and Xavier in the least. I think those
two they came in at around about the same time,
never came in a little bit later than Xavier, and
you know, they kind of flip my game upside down
(03:53):
and kind of mentally helped me get back on the
right track after my very disappointing year into the twenty two.
And also, you know, the team, the rest of the
team that I've surrounded myself, Valentine match is your I Evan,
my sitness coach who I recently hired, and I think
(04:13):
he was kind of the missing piece and the puzzle,
you know, he was. He's been believable since he's been
on the team, kind of integrated in straight away and
also baftly I can't. I can't forget my family, you know,
the the sacrifices that they've made for me and then
my brother for our tennis careers. You know, they've they've
really sacrificed so much, you know, leaving Australia at a
(04:34):
very early age and kind of focusing on tennis, and
my parent and my mom not missing a match or
practice until I was about to twenty one, twenty two
years old, which is amazing, and my dad, you know,
always finding a way to be able to pay for
all of this because you know, tennis isn't chieved at all,
and it's it's it's definitely something that I'm eternally grateful
(04:59):
for my parents.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
For a big rankings rise following that title, and that
means you'll be entering the US Open as a seed.
Tell me about what that does to your mindset, entering
a major as a seed, the good and the bad aspects.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
I don't think that's much different to entering a tournament
of seed on not the seed. You know, for me,
it's it's really important the process that we kind of
implement before the tournament and during the tournament, you know,
because it's it's it's there's no different. You know, you
go to every Grand Slatin and you try and win it.
And for me, that's always been kind of my idea.
(05:39):
I've always thought that I could go deep in Slams,
and you know, I think I've showed it with consistent
third round runs and haven't been able to kind of
pass the third round hurdle, which has been a shame.
I've had some close matches over the past few years.
But you know, for me, it's it's not not much changes.
You know, the preparation is still the same, the mentality
is still the same. You go into might try to
(06:00):
win it and then we see what comes.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
You know, last week on the podcast, we had Simon
Ray from the Game Insight Group and Dad some analysis
on your performances in Montreal and notice that your return
of serve numbers were just through the roof, growing exponentially
throughout the latter stages of that title. Have you been
putting work into that area.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Of your game?
Speaker 4 (06:23):
If not, where have you been focusing your attention this year?
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, it's definitely something that we've we've highlighted as a
place that we have to improve in. We have been
putting work, but not kind of over the top work,
and all we've been focusing on is our return. It's
not that kind of work, but there were a few,
you know, adjustments that we made. And also I feel
like this year I've been returning much better on the
(06:50):
faster surfaces. For some reason, it's just sort of clicked
in my head a little bit since the start of
the year. Honestly, again, you know, that's something that comes
to you as a tennis player just naturally. You know,
it's just some things click unexplainably, and you're able to
return a little bit better, or hit a forehand a
little bit better, or serve a little bit better, and
you know, you try and understand those feelings and you
(07:14):
just roll with them, honestly, And that's what that's what
I've been doing in the last few months. And I
feel like on the grass I returned quite well. I
was quite comfortable returning on the grass, and also honestly
on the clay. So for me, it's it's been a big,
big improvement and and it's something that hopefully will continue improving.
But you know, we've been working a lot on my
(07:34):
serve actually, that's probably been the main thing that we've
been focusing on trying trying to have a variety, variety
on my serve. You know, I'm able to serve you know,
a big two thirty kilometer an hour serve. But for
me to be able to change the pace, change the
change the direction, that's that's something that kind of you know,
(07:55):
it took me a while to kind of grass because
you know, when you're able to serve big, you kind
just want to continue serving beag. But it becomes quite
easier to return, believe it or not, because players get
adjusted to it and they kind of start figuring out
what you do. So if you start mixing it in
a few kicks when they least expected, then you know
your first the big bomb becomes more effective. Great insights, Alexi.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
You say that you said that not much changes for
you after winning in Montreal, But what about the perspective
and I guess the confidence boost that you gain from
beating such a series of big names, and you know
you also save match points against Dimotrov in that run.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Yeah, it's definitely it's definitely helps with the confidence. But
I don't think me beating what one top ten player,
you know, is something new. You know, I've been able
to do it in the past a few times. But
for me, the biggest thing that I keep saying after
that tournament is beating three of those top ten players
(08:57):
and five top twenty players in one week. That kind
of consistency, it doesn't come easy and it's not something
that you know, I've been able to do in my career.
And that was kind of the first week while I
was able to put you know, a string of six
matches against high quality opponents and beat them. So for me,
that's that's the most pleasing thing and the most that's
(09:20):
the thing that builds the most confidence in me.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
How much inspiration did you take from your Olympics experience.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Yeah, there's been. There was a lot of inspiration honestly,
you know, seeing other athletes, seeing other you know, the
best athletes in the world and there and their respective sports,
you know, seeing how they go about their business. You know,
it kind of gives you a liarm of inside as
to how you should be going about your business. And
you know, it just showed me that what I've been
doing was kind of the right thing. As all athletes,
(09:48):
you know are super focused on the nutrition, super focus
on their gym work, and you know, they go and
do their head stuff. But off the court, you know
that they're amazing human beings and you know, I think
think it's I think that just you know, highlighted the
faact that you know, what I was doing was the
right part and the right way and that I just
(10:09):
had to stick with it. In one of these days
it would click and you know that that's something that
you know, being in that big village seeing other athletes,
seeing how they worked. Yeah, highlight But at that.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Watching from Afar, it seemed like there's well it always
does seem like there's such a great team spirit among
the Australian players. Does does it help to spend time
with the likes of Layton and obviously you're friends with
Alex and other players.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Yeah, it definitely does for sure. No, I think us
as a Davis Cup squad, you know, we've made back
to back Davis Cup finals and that wouldn't come if
we didn't get along as a squad as players and
also the boys that haven't been on the Davis Cup squad,
you know, like viog Oags, you know, Rinky, you know
(10:56):
all of those guys. We all get along super well.
You know, we all go we try and get a
round of golf and every now and then. You know,
me and Demon have been close since we've been kids,
you know, and we've kind of been pushing each other
to higher standards and to kind of improve in our game.
And that's kind of the competitiveness that you want in
(11:18):
tennis and in sport. And you know, I think having
so many players inside the top hundred now seeing then
we can and helping them and kind of and practicing
together and helping each other, you know that not many
countries have this, and we're super lucky to have it,
and we definitely don't take it for granted.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
And you know, obviously the odd round of golf here
and there. What else are you doing off court to
decompress away from tennis?
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Honestly, A lot of it is golf. I just I
love my golfum because yeah, I to be honest, I
travel with my golf clubs to some places to be
able to play, to be afule to play golf, well
you know, uh yeah, And you know I like to
spend time with Tim, but a lot of the time,
(12:11):
you know, I I just really enjoyed playing golf and
and you know, spending time with my girlfriend off the court.
You know, we like to go to some plays here
and there. We'd like to go to dinner together, So
it's a it's very Yeah, I have a few things
that I like to do and sometimes when I really
like it, I like to I like to play and PlayStation.
So that's that's that's about it.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
We know that you're famously close to your family. As
as you mentioned earlier, what was their reaction after your
your winning Montreal?
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Surely it was amazing. I think I called them as
soon as I got into the gym and and called
my girlfriend and added my family to the to the
chat and to the call, and yeah, there were tears flowing,
there was a there was a lot of congratulations and
and uh, super proud and some time as my parents
(13:02):
can get a little bit ahead of themselves and say,
you know, go win the slab now, and I was thanks,
I'm trying to tell them, you know, I just take
it easy, let's enjoy this one first and then and
then we'll think about the rest. So yeah, but honestly,
everybody was just super proud, and you know, they know
that I wouldn't be able to do this without them,
and I'm eternally grateful to them.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
Alexie, if you can take your mind back to the
start of the year, a lot of players, I guess
cast their goals for the year. Can you tell us
what your goals were at the beginning of twenty twenty
four and how they've changed now that you've got this
Master's one thousand title under your belt.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
You know, I think in terms of goals, I don't
really set myself goals. I like to go buy the
you know, the day to day work, the goals off
the court in practice and how we and how we
practice and how we go about our business, and that
for me is the most important thing. And the ranking
and the results will naturally come if you're able to
(13:58):
do it consistently. So for me, it's that's a huge
part of the process, and goals is not really a
big thing for me. I really don't like setting ranking goals,
au toonament goals or any of that stuff, because for me,
it just it puts my mind. I only focus on that,
and for me, that's not the that's not the way
to go about it.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
What are you most looking forward to over the next
few months.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
I'm just I know it's a it's getting a little
bit old, but just the process, honestly, just the just
the constant work off the court. For me, that's that's
the most enjoyable thing, you know, going to going to
the gym, practicing on court with my team, spending some
time with my team, you know, on on and off
the court, you know, for me, that's that's the that's
the thing that I look to the most. And then
(14:44):
for me, you know, the confidence that I have right now.
I was telling my team the other day that, you know,
it's so amazing to be able to play tennis when
you're high on confidence, because I've I've been really low
in confidence and that's really not enjoyable at all. But
to be able to step on court and feel like
(15:05):
you're able to produce any shot or do anything, that's
a feeling that you try and keep forever. And that's
the feeling that I'll be trying to keep for a
very wrong time, just to play in confidence. Because you know,
these guys in the top ten, top five, you know,
I think they constantly nearly we can week out play
with confidence, and they can produce the kind of shots
(15:26):
and tennis that they're producing. We can weak out and
that's something you know, you take one week on Montreal,
you feel like that confidence flowing, you wanted to proceed
into the next week, and that's that's something that I'm
looking for, but to hopefully I can continue that confidence going.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Well, it sounds like you are enjoying your tennis a lot,
and we are certainly enjoying watching you as well.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Thank you very much. Yeah, it's definitely fun playing tennis
right now.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Well, Viv, that was a great check. Congratulations. I really
enjoyed the note that that interview finished on. I'm really
enjoying my tennis. You can just hear that Alexi and
all the work he's doing, the team he's got around him,
and the momentum he's built. He's really enjoying writing that wave,
and it sounds like he's very excited to see where
his career might go from here. So I think US
Open could be really interesting.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Yeah, thank you, Matt. It was really great to catch
up with Alexi and he is obviously in a really
great spot at the moment. He's enjoying his tennis. He's
feeling a real sense of belonging. I think after such
a series of great wins in Montreal, and yeah, I'm
equally excited to see what he does next. Yeah, we'll
be back next week with another episode of sit Down,
(16:35):
and in the meantime, you can tune into John and
the team on The Aos Show weekly on Thursday.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Details for how to contact us are in the show
notes below, and please remember to subscribe, rate, and review.
We'll see you next week, vib.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Look forward to it.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Matt
Hello, and welcome to the sitdown. I'm Viv Christie, managing
editor of US joe In Tennis magazine.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
And I'm Mattrolope, a writer for oz open dot Com
and viv this week, why are we sitting down with Alexipopperin.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Well, we are sitting down with Alexi because he is
riding an absolute high in his career at the moment.
He arrives at the US Open as a seated player
for the first time at a Grand Slam tournament, on
the back of his first ATP Master's one thousand title
in Montreal. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Now, I actually didn't do this interview. It was you
and John Hooven, us host of the Aoshow Weekly, and
you guys were lucky enough to catch Alexi early Melbourne
time from New York, which was really cool and it
was just great to hear him talk about the kind
of place he's out in his career at the moment,
the wave of confidence he's riding and you know what
might lie ahead.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Alexi, thank you for joining us today.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yeah, good to be here. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
We are talking to you in what we would have
to describe as a career best season. You've had a
third round run at the Olympics, a series of top
ten wins, and our first ATP Masters one thousand title.
It must be feeling pretty good for you right now.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yeah, it's definitely feeling good. You know, I've had it,
I would say, up to this point, a little up
and down year, topsy turvy year. But yeah, last week
really really showed that I'm able to play at that
level and play consistently at that level, which is, you know,
a testament to all the hard work we've done over
the past two years.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
An incredible run and some big performances within that Montreal
title with wins over Shelton, dimetro of her catch quarter
and rub lev tell me first of all about the
personal significance of this title win.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Yeah, it's definitely it's massive for me. You know, I
don't take many players in their career, go through their
career when you know, and win a Mass one thousand,
and for me to be able to do that is honestly,
it is a dream come true. But at the same time,
you know, the work doesn't stop here. You know, we
still have goals and we saw have ambitions or our
(02:04):
own as a team where as to where we want
to get to it or how we want to play
and it's definitely not the last Master final that I
want to play in and try and win. So you know,
I've got big ambitions and know we were straight back
to work as soon as soon as we were done.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Fantastic attitude. And I'm sure you would have seen some
of the media coverage back home here in Australia where
a lot of the focus was on the historical significance
the first Australian man in twenty one years to win
a title of this magnitude, and of course that was
since Leyton Hewitt. So what does it mean to you
to have been the first man in over two decades
to replicate what he did at Indian Wells in two
(02:43):
thousand and three.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, it's definitely an honor. You know, I think Lane's
been a really big part of kind of my my
professional career, you know, as David's cub captain, as you know,
is kind of, you know, the kind of role model
leader that all Aussie boys inside the top und all
Aussie talnis players kind of looked to. And you know
(03:07):
he's really helped a lot throughout all of our careers
and you know, to have him by my side and
kind of, you know, kind of helped me along the
way is really amazing. And for me to be able
to you know, win this title and first since he
did it is a true honor and definitely something I'm
really proud of, Alexi.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Who else would you say has been influential in your
career so far?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
You know, I think my team right now that I have,
my two coaches have been have been unbelievable for me,
Nevil Godwin and Xavier in the least. I think those
two they came in at around about the same time,
never came in a little bit later than Xavier, and
you know, they kind of flip my game upside down
(03:53):
and kind of mentally helped me get back on the
right track after my very disappointing year into the twenty two.
And also, you know, the team, the rest of the
team that I've surrounded myself, Valentine match is your I Evan,
my sitness coach who I recently hired, and I think
(04:13):
he was kind of the missing piece and the puzzle,
you know, he was. He's been believable since he's been
on the team, kind of integrated in straight away and
also baftly I can't. I can't forget my family, you know,
the the sacrifices that they've made for me and then
my brother for our tennis careers. You know, they've they've
really sacrificed so much, you know, leaving Australia at a
(04:34):
very early age and kind of focusing on tennis, and
my parent and my mom not missing a match or
practice until I was about to twenty one, twenty two
years old, which is amazing, and my dad, you know,
always finding a way to be able to pay for
all of this because you know, tennis isn't chieved at all,
and it's it's it's definitely something that I'm eternally grateful
(04:59):
for my parents.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
For a big rankings rise following that title, and that
means you'll be entering the US Open as a seed.
Tell me about what that does to your mindset, entering
a major as a seed, the good and the bad aspects.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
I don't think that's much different to entering a tournament
of seed on not the seed. You know, for me,
it's it's really important the process that we kind of
implement before the tournament and during the tournament, you know,
because it's it's it's there's no different. You know, you
go to every Grand Slatin and you try and win it.
And for me, that's always been kind of my idea.
(05:39):
I've always thought that I could go deep in Slams,
and you know, I think I've showed it with consistent
third round runs and haven't been able to kind of
pass the third round hurdle, which has been a shame.
I've had some close matches over the past few years.
But you know, for me, it's it's not not much changes.
You know, the preparation is still the same, the mentality
is still the same. You go into might try to
(06:00):
win it and then we see what comes.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
You know, last week on the podcast, we had Simon
Ray from the Game Insight Group and Dad some analysis
on your performances in Montreal and notice that your return
of serve numbers were just through the roof, growing exponentially
throughout the latter stages of that title. Have you been
putting work into that area.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Of your game?
Speaker 4 (06:23):
If not, where have you been focusing your attention this year?
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, it's definitely something that we've we've highlighted as a
place that we have to improve in. We have been
putting work, but not kind of over the top work,
and all we've been focusing on is our return. It's
not that kind of work, but there were a few,
you know, adjustments that we made. And also I feel
like this year I've been returning much better on the
(06:50):
faster surfaces. For some reason, it's just sort of clicked
in my head a little bit since the start of
the year. Honestly, again, you know, that's something that comes
to you as a tennis player just naturally. You know,
it's just some things click unexplainably, and you're able to
return a little bit better, or hit a forehand a
little bit better, or serve a little bit better, and
you know, you try and understand those feelings and you
(07:14):
just roll with them, honestly, And that's what that's what
I've been doing in the last few months. And I
feel like on the grass I returned quite well. I
was quite comfortable returning on the grass, and also honestly
on the clay. So for me, it's it's been a big,
big improvement and and it's something that hopefully will continue improving.
But you know, we've been working a lot on my
(07:34):
serve actually, that's probably been the main thing that we've
been focusing on trying trying to have a variety, variety
on my serve. You know, I'm able to serve you know,
a big two thirty kilometer an hour serve. But for
me to be able to change the pace, change the
change the direction, that's that's something that kind of you know,
(07:55):
it took me a while to kind of grass because
you know, when you're able to serve big, you kind
just want to continue serving beag. But it becomes quite
easier to return, believe it or not, because players get
adjusted to it and they kind of start figuring out
what you do. So if you start mixing it in
a few kicks when they least expected, then you know
your first the big bomb becomes more effective. Great insights, Alexi.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
You say that you said that not much changes for
you after winning in Montreal, But what about the perspective
and I guess the confidence boost that you gain from
beating such a series of big names, and you know
you also save match points against Dimotrov in that run.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Yeah, it's definitely it's definitely helps with the confidence. But
I don't think me beating what one top ten player,
you know, is something new. You know, I've been able
to do it in the past a few times. But
for me, the biggest thing that I keep saying after
that tournament is beating three of those top ten players
(08:57):
and five top twenty players in one week. That kind
of consistency, it doesn't come easy and it's not something
that you know, I've been able to do in my career.
And that was kind of the first week while I
was able to put you know, a string of six
matches against high quality opponents and beat them. So for me,
that's that's the most pleasing thing and the most that's
(09:20):
the thing that builds the most confidence in me.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
How much inspiration did you take from your Olympics experience.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Yeah, there's been. There was a lot of inspiration honestly,
you know, seeing other athletes, seeing other you know, the
best athletes in the world and there and their respective sports,
you know, seeing how they go about their business. You know,
it kind of gives you a liarm of inside as
to how you should be going about your business. And
you know, it just showed me that what I've been
doing was kind of the right thing. As all athletes,
(09:48):
you know are super focused on the nutrition, super focus
on their gym work, and you know, they go and
do their head stuff. But off the court, you know
that they're amazing human beings and you know, I think
think it's I think that just you know, highlighted the
faact that you know, what I was doing was the
right part and the right way and that I just
(10:09):
had to stick with it. In one of these days
it would click and you know that that's something that
you know, being in that big village seeing other athletes,
seeing how they worked. Yeah, highlight But at that.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Watching from Afar, it seemed like there's well it always
does seem like there's such a great team spirit among
the Australian players. Does does it help to spend time
with the likes of Layton and obviously you're friends with
Alex and other players.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Yeah, it definitely does for sure. No, I think us
as a Davis Cup squad, you know, we've made back
to back Davis Cup finals and that wouldn't come if
we didn't get along as a squad as players and
also the boys that haven't been on the Davis Cup squad,
you know, like viog Oags, you know, Rinky, you know
(10:56):
all of those guys. We all get along super well.
You know, we all go we try and get a
round of golf and every now and then. You know,
me and Demon have been close since we've been kids,
you know, and we've kind of been pushing each other
to higher standards and to kind of improve in our game.
And that's kind of the competitiveness that you want in
(11:18):
tennis and in sport. And you know, I think having
so many players inside the top hundred now seeing then
we can and helping them and kind of and practicing
together and helping each other, you know that not many
countries have this, and we're super lucky to have it,
and we definitely don't take it for granted.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
And you know, obviously the odd round of golf here
and there. What else are you doing off court to
decompress away from tennis?
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Honestly, A lot of it is golf. I just I
love my golfum because yeah, I to be honest, I
travel with my golf clubs to some places to be
able to play, to be afule to play golf, well
you know, uh yeah, And you know I like to
spend time with Tim, but a lot of the time,
(12:11):
you know, I I just really enjoyed playing golf and
and you know, spending time with my girlfriend off the court.
You know, we like to go to some plays here
and there. We'd like to go to dinner together, So
it's a it's very Yeah, I have a few things
that I like to do and sometimes when I really
like it, I like to I like to play and PlayStation.
So that's that's that's about it.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
We know that you're famously close to your family. As
as you mentioned earlier, what was their reaction after your
your winning Montreal?
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Surely it was amazing. I think I called them as
soon as I got into the gym and and called
my girlfriend and added my family to the to the
chat and to the call, and yeah, there were tears flowing,
there was a there was a lot of congratulations and
and uh, super proud and some time as my parents
(13:02):
can get a little bit ahead of themselves and say,
you know, go win the slab now, and I was thanks,
I'm trying to tell them, you know, I just take
it easy, let's enjoy this one first and then and
then we'll think about the rest. So yeah, but honestly,
everybody was just super proud, and you know, they know
that I wouldn't be able to do this without them,
and I'm eternally grateful to them.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
Alexie, if you can take your mind back to the
start of the year, a lot of players, I guess
cast their goals for the year. Can you tell us
what your goals were at the beginning of twenty twenty
four and how they've changed now that you've got this
Master's one thousand title under your belt.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
You know, I think in terms of goals, I don't
really set myself goals. I like to go buy the
you know, the day to day work, the goals off
the court in practice and how we and how we
practice and how we go about our business, and that
for me is the most important thing. And the ranking
and the results will naturally come if you're able to
(13:58):
do it consistently. So for me, it's that's a huge
part of the process, and goals is not really a
big thing for me. I really don't like setting ranking goals,
au toonament goals or any of that stuff, because for me,
it just it puts my mind. I only focus on that,
and for me, that's not the that's not the way
to go about it.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
What are you most looking forward to over the next
few months.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
I'm just I know it's a it's getting a little
bit old, but just the process, honestly, just the just
the constant work off the court. For me, that's that's
the most enjoyable thing, you know, going to going to
the gym, practicing on court with my team, spending some
time with my team, you know, on on and off
the court, you know, for me, that's that's the that's
the thing that I look to the most. And then
(14:44):
for me, you know, the confidence that I have right now.
I was telling my team the other day that, you know,
it's so amazing to be able to play tennis when
you're high on confidence, because I've I've been really low
in confidence and that's really not enjoyable at all. But
to be able to step on court and feel like
(15:05):
you're able to produce any shot or do anything, that's
a feeling that you try and keep forever. And that's
the feeling that I'll be trying to keep for a
very wrong time, just to play in confidence. Because you know,
these guys in the top ten, top five, you know,
I think they constantly nearly we can week out play
with confidence, and they can produce the kind of shots
(15:26):
and tennis that they're producing. We can weak out and
that's something you know, you take one week on Montreal,
you feel like that confidence flowing, you wanted to proceed
into the next week, and that's that's something that I'm
looking for, but to hopefully I can continue that confidence going.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Well, it sounds like you are enjoying your tennis a lot,
and we are certainly enjoying watching you as well.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Thank you very much. Yeah, it's definitely fun playing tennis
right now.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Well, Viv, that was a great check. Congratulations. I really
enjoyed the note that that interview finished on. I'm really
enjoying my tennis. You can just hear that Alexi and
all the work he's doing, the team he's got around him,
and the momentum he's built. He's really enjoying writing that wave,
and it sounds like he's very excited to see where
his career might go from here. So I think US
Open could be really interesting.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Yeah, thank you, Matt. It was really great to catch
up with Alexi and he is obviously in a really
great spot at the moment. He's enjoying his tennis. He's
feeling a real sense of belonging. I think after such
a series of great wins in Montreal, and yeah, I'm
equally excited to see what he does next. Yeah, we'll
be back next week with another episode of sit Down,
(16:35):
and in the meantime, you can tune into John and
the team on The Aos Show weekly on Thursday.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Details for how to contact us are in the show
notes below, and please remember to subscribe, rate, and review.
We'll see you next week, vib.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Look forward to it.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Matt
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com