Montreal, Canada, 13 August 2024 | Dan Imhoff

Alexei Popyrin has capped a breakout week in Montreal in emphatic style, upstaging world No.6 Andrey Rublev for his maiden ATP Masters 1000 trophy.

Ranked No.62 heading into his Canadian Masters main draw debut, the 25-year-old denied five top 20 rivals in succession to complete the dream result and depart as the new world No.23.

His 6-2 6-4 triumph made him the first Australian since Lleyton Hewitt defended his Indian Wells crown 21 years go to claim an ATP Masters 1000 title and prompted a post-match camera lens sign-off of “what just happened?”

> READ: Gadecki, Popyrin reach biggest career finals

“Unbelievable, words really can’t describe this feeling,” Popyrin said courtside. “All the hard work that myself and my team put in over the last few years, it’s just paid off.

“I’m a Masters 1000 title winner and I can’t believe it… Firstly my team, we’ve been through thick and thin.

“‘X’, my coach (Xavier Malisse), Nev, (Neville Godwin) my other coach supporting me from South Africa, my whole team, my fitness coach, my physio – he was honestly massaging me at 2am last night so big props to him and also my family and my girlfriend. They’ve dedicated their whole lives to this.”

Lift it high, @AlexeiPopyrin99 🙌🏆@OBNmontreal | #OBN24 pic.twitter.com/Pjn8npfDZW

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 13, 2024

Popyrin was forced to work overtime just to reach the title match after inclement weather delayed play and meant he needed to defeat fourth seed Hubert Hurkacz and last week’s Washington champion Sebastian Korda only hours later on the same day.

He saved three match points against seventh seed Grigor Dimitrov to reach his second ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal.

“He beat great players, he was having a really tough draw, finishing last night, really late, and today winning the title is a really big achievement, so I want to congratulate you, I’m happy for you, man,” Rublev said.

Popyrin went on to become the eighth men’s winner this year to recover from match point down during his title run and the first at ATP Masters 1000 level since Hurkacz saved a championship point against Rublev in the Shanghai final last year.

“I think just kind of focus on what I have to do,” he said. “On the two match points before the third one, I didn’t make a first serve and I felt like I had to make one to kind of put the pressure on and do it.

What just happened?!?!? 😱😱😱@AlexeiPopyrin99 is an ATP Masters 1000 CHAMPION in Montreal 🏆#GoAussies #NBO24 pic.twitter.com/liRuUnXbCE

— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) August 13, 2024

“I don’t remember what happened on match point. I don’t know if I made my first serve or not, but I think I did and hit a pretty solid forehand to win it so to me that’s my thought process through the whole tournament.

“When I saved the three match points I just kind of looked at them as break points not match points and just focused on what I had to do on my serve to hold my serve and yeah, came through.”

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Popyrin became just the fourth Australian after Hewitt at Indian Wells in 2002-2003, Mark Philippoussis at Indian Wells in 1999 and Pat Rafter at Toronto and Cincinnati in 1998 to land an ATP Masters 1000 title.

It was a feat of which the new Australian No.2 behind 10^th-ranked Alex de Minaur would not take sole credit.

“My family kind of left Australia early on in my life to pursue my tennis career with my brother and my younger sister,” he said. “They’ve just sacrificed so much. I wouldn’t be here without them.”

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