Alexei Popyrin declared his victory at the Canadian Open “means the world” after he defeated Andrey Rublev in straight sets to claim his maiden ATP 1000 title.
Popyrin won 6-2 6-4 to become the first player to win the Canadian Open title in their first main draw appearance in 17 years. The last player to do so was 24-time Grand Slam singles winner Novak Djokovic in 2003.
The 25-year-old defied the odds to beat favourite and world number six Rublev in his third defeat of a top-10 opponent in Montreal.
For the current world number 62, it was a sign that all the effort had been worth it.
"It means the world, for all the hard work I've put in over the years, all the sacrifices I have made," said Popyrin.
"Not just me, but my family, my girlfriend, my team, everybody around me. They have sacrificed their whole lives for me and for me to win this for them is just amazing."
The victory also makes Popyrin the first Australian to win a Masters 1000 since Lleyton Hewitt won Indian Wells in 2003.
He became the fourth-lowest ranked ATP Masters 1000 champion, just two weeks after being defeated by Alexander Zverev on clay courts in the round of 16 in the Olympics men’s singles.
Popyrin fared better against Rublev, who remained optimistic about his performance despite the upset.
“It's a very positive and really good week. [It’s a] really big step forward, and I feel proud of myself that I was able to be really good all the week mentally,” reflected Rublev.
“If we compare my match against him at Monte-Carlo when I was losing, I was behaving 10 times more, and it was first round.
“Here it was a final. Much more pressure. Yes, I still showed a bit emotions today, but compare the matches when I was losing the same way, I think I did much better job.
“That's why I had a little chance in the second set, but it was just not my time I guess.”
Osaka left puzzled by recent form after Cincinnati Open exit
Naomi Osaka said she still does not feel like herself eight months into her comeback season following her latest defeat at the Cincinnati Open.
Osaka was beaten in three sets by Ashlyn Krueger in the second round of qualifying for the event ahead of the final grand slam of the year at the US Open.
The former world number one also lost in her first match of the Paris Olympics to Angelique Kerber and was beaten in the last 32 of the Canadian Open last week.
Osaka was left puzzled by her lack of accuracy and power in her most recent loss, explaining her current form is having an affect on her mentally.
"My biggest issue currently isn't losses though, my biggest issue is that I don't feel like I'm in my body," Osaka wrote on Instagram on Tuesday.
"It's a strange feeling, missing balls I shouldn't miss, hitting balls softer than I remember I used to.
"I try to tell myself, 'It's fine you're doing great. Just get through this one and keep pushing', mentally it's really draining through.
"Internally, I hear myself screaming, 'What the hell is happening?!?!'"
Osaka returned to action in January after a 15-month break during which she gave birth to her daughter.
The Japanese is now ranked 90th in the WTA rankings, with her best finishes coming in Doha and 's-Hertogenbosch where she reached the quarter-finals in both.
"I've played a handful of matches this year that I felt like I was myself and I know this moment is probably just a small phase from all the new transitions (clay, grass, clay, hard), however the only feeling I could liken how I feel right now to is being post-partum," Osaka said.
"That scares me because I've been playing tennis since I was three, the racket should feel like an extension of my hand."
Osaka's next event will be at Flushing Meadows, a stadium where she triumphed in 2018 and 2020, but added she did not understand why everything about her game felt brand new again.
"This should be as simple as breathing to me, but it's not," she added. "I genuinely did not give myself grace for that fact until just now."
Alcaraz reflects on 'incredible' months despite Olympics disappointment
Carlos Alcaraz said he will remember this summer "for the rest of his life" despite his defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics.
Alcaraz, who has already won two grand slams at the French Open and Wimbledon this year, finished with a silver medal at the Games earlier this month.
The Spaniard will take part in this week's Cincinnati Open where he will face either Gael Monfils or recent Canadian Open winner Alexei Popyrin in the second round.
Alcaraz has the opportunity to claim a second US Open title in two weeks time, but had the chance to reflect on an incredible few months ahead of his first match in Ohio.
“It has been some incredible months in my life and career after winning Roland-Garros, a tournament that I was very excited to win, and of course Wimbledon, which is wonderful to be able to win it,” Alcaraz told the ATP Tour.
“Also, one of my dreams was to win an Olympic medal. I have enjoyed a lot these last few months. They were incredible and I enjoyed it a lot.
“I am also very happy with my tennis and the way I handled different situations. I think I have improved a lot as a player, so I am very happy.
“Of course, in tennis the season is not over, and we have to carry on pushing our best in each tournament but, of course, I will remember these months [for] the rest of my life.”
Alcaraz also partnered up with fellow compatriot Rafael Nadal in the men's doubles at Roland-Garros during the Olympics in the French capital.
The Spanish pair, dubbed 'Nadalcaraz' at the Games, lost in the quarter-finals to America's fourth-seeded duo Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in straight sets.
And while his journey with the 22-time grand slam champion fell short of a medal, Alcaraz said it was a dream come true to play alongside one of his sporting heroes.
“It was a great experience, talking with Rafa off the court, knowing each other much better off the court. It was a great experience, obviously, playing doubles together," Alcaraz said.
“It was something that I will never forget, for sure. I learned a lot talking to him on court, off the court as well.
“I think we played great tennis in doubles, even if we are not used to playing doubles very often.
“A little bit disappointing at the end, because we thought that we could do it better, but in general, we were happy.
“Obviously talking about myself, I reached my dream, my dream came true, playing doubles alongside Rafa.”
Swiatek expecting tough transition ahead of Cincinnati Open
Iga Swiatek has measured her expectations ahead of the Cincinnati Open this week, with the top-ranked seed placing full focus on the US Open later this month.
Swiatek, who won bronze at the Paris Olympics, returns to the hardcourt surface for the first time since the Miami Open back in March.
The Pole has since won three titles on clay in Madrid, Rome and the French Open, before losing to Yulia Putintseva in the third round on the grass courts of Wimbledon.
She returned to Roland-Garros with her eyes set on Olympic gold, but settled for a third place finish after beating Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in her bronze medal match.
However, Swiatek, who plays Ajla Tomljanovic or Varvara Gracheva in the second round this week, acknowledged how difficult the transition will be.
"I know that the first tournament on hardcourts isn't going to be easy," said Swiatek.
"So I'm going to try to treat it as a practice tournament, but not in a way that I don't care - more in a way that I want to implement all the stuff that I practiced on.
"I think it's the best approach for me now."
The US Open offers an opportunity for Swiatek to claim a second title Stateside, with the possibility of taking her grand slam total to six.
But with Cincinnati first up, the Pole said that the Lindner Family Tennis Center is the perfect platform to build to the tournament in New York later this month.
"I felt after the Olympics I need to reset and also focus on getting my technique back together and just grinding on court," Swiatek said.
"Here's the perfect place to do it. It feels a little bit less crazy, but on the other hand, even before the tournament, there are many people and a lot of fans.
"So you still feel it's an important tournament."
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