Alexei Popyrin has revealed that winning his first Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open in Montreal last year gave him a greater sense of achievement than his subsequent third-round victory over Novak Djokovic at the US Open. The Australian rose to the occasion by defeating a string of top-tier opponents including Ben Shelton, Hubert Hurkacz, Grigor Dimitrov, and Andrey Rublev en route to his breakthrough at the 2024 Canadian Masters.

Before that milestone, Popyrin’s only Masters 1000 quarter-final appearance was singular, and he had yet to compete in the main draw in Canada. In contrast, weeks later, he produced a significant upset by defeating the defending US Open champion Novak Djokovic in four sets, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

“Against Novak, I think everybody always knew that I’m capable of producing a one-match stunner,” Popyrin told the ATP Tour website. “But I want to get back to winning the matches that I should be winning, stringing together wins and then giving a good account in the matches that I’m the underdog.”

He described his Masters triumph as “easily a bigger buzz than the US Open win over Novak because I put together six matches consecutively against Top 20 opponents and beat them all.” Popyrin emphasized his focus on consistency: “As you look for that consistency, you don’t want to take away anything from your big explosive game; it’s more about staying in rallies longer and waiting for the right opportunity rather than going for an unbelievable shot.”

This year, Popyrin is set to defend his Canadian title, beginning against world No. 638 Nicolas Arseneault in the tournament’s expanded two-week format. After a career-high ranking of world No. 21 following a strong French Open showing, he acknowledges the pressure of defending a large number of points. “I’d be lying if I said there’s no pressure [defending the Canada title],” he said. “Every year you have to go in defending points… Going into Toronto, I’m trying to not put too much pressure on myself and I know that once those points are off, I’ll have like a little bit of a weight lifted off my shoulders.”

Fellow Australian Alex de Minaur recently praised Popyrin’s athleticism, noting, “For a big, tall guy Pop’s movement is extremely good… he’s also got the ability to retrieve and defend with his legs, giving his opponents something else to think about.” Popyrin concurred, stating, “People see me as tall and lanky, very uncoordinated, and think I might be a slow mover. But I feel movement comes naturally to me, that I’m quite quick for a big guy and I can get out of corners quite easily. I definitely see it as a weapon of mine.”

On a personal note, Popyrin announced his engagement to longtime partner Amy Pederick in November 2024, with wedding details yet to be disclosed.

Carlos Alcaraz, at just 22 years old, has reached a significant milestone: his 100th week in the top two of the ATP rankings. This achievement places him as the second-youngest player in ATP history to spend 100 weeks in the top two, trailing only Rafael Nadal, who accomplished the feat at age 21.

Alcaraz has spent 36 weeks at No. 1 and 64 weeks at No. 2. Nadal’s initial 100 weeks in the top two, extending to 160 weeks, were all in the No. 2 position behind Roger Federer. Bjorn Borg reached this milestone at an age slightly older than Alcaraz.

Though Alcaraz is not competing in the Canadian Open this week due to minor muscle issues and the need for physical and mental recovery, his position in the rankings remains strong. He is well ahead of No. 3 Alexander Zverev by 2,570 points in the ATP rankings and leads the ATP Race to Turin by 4,160 points over No. 3 Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz has expressed regret about missing Toronto, stating, “After many consecutive weeks of competition without rest, I will not be able to play in Toronto this year. I have small muscles issues and I need to recover physically and mentally for what comes next. To the tournament and to my fans in Canada I am very sorry, I will see you…”

Looking forward, Alcaraz has a clear chance to reclaim the No. 1 ranking before the year ends. Although currently 3,430 points behind Jannik Sinner, who has amassed far more points over the same period last year, opportunities arise notably at the US Open. Sinner will defend 2,000 points as the reigning champion, while Alcaraz defends only 50 points, making a leaderboard shift plausible depending on their performances.

Alcaraz is scheduled to return to competition at the Cincinnati Open in two weeks, where Sinner will defend 1,000 points from his title last year, and Alcaraz will defend 10 points from an early exit. The No. 1 ranking may not be decided there, but the season’s remaining tournaments could alter the standings significantly.

Iga Swiatek has opened up about the experience of losing her position as the world No.1 in women’s tennis, describing the shift as ultimately “freeing,” despite initial feelings of unfairness. Swiatek held the top ranking for an impressive 75 weeks until Aryna Sabalenka claimed the No.1 spot following Swiatek’s unexpected fourth-round exit at the 2023 US Open, ending a dominant streak only surpassed by two other women in the sport’s history.

Swiatek admitted that losing the top ranking initially left her devastated. In her own words from a recent conversation on Andy Roddick’s Served podcast, she said, “When I lost the No.1 one to Aryna for a couple of weeks, I was kind of devastated, but then it was freeing when I kind of worked through it, and when I turned it around to something positive. Being motivated and actually convincing myself that now I’m going to be able to focus on hunting instead of being hunted.”

In 2024, Sabalenka has maintained the No.1 position since October, while Swiatek has faced additional pressures, including a doping ban that contributed to her feeling that the situation was “not fair.” Reflecting on the challenges of the past two years, Swiatek said, “It started with my case and coming back after the case, and all these mixed feelings that I had. Playing well in Australia, and then playing well in Doha, and I lost in semis, but I felt like I’m playing good and I felt like I deserved to be [No.1].”

She further acknowledged the emotional toll the circumstances took on her mindset: “Maybe it was not a lot of humility but I felt like I deserved to be No.1 and it was taken away from me. And having these kinds of feelings didn’t help me for the next month, because I just felt like the world is not fair. I know it’s pretty childish and I’m in the top 10 so I shouldn’t be angry about things like that. I should be kind of grateful, but it took me a while to get over it and to focus on the future instead of the past.”

Swiatek pointed to a significant reset in her approach occurring after the Rome tournament and a coaching change, which she described as unsettling due to her loyalty to her team. Currently ranked third, Swiatek looks ahead with determination following her recent Wimbledon triumph.