Montreal revives fortunes of 2024 winner Popyrin

“Great memories,” he told Tennis Canada on Tuesday. “I think the crowd out there today, there was a little section that was really loud, I think they remember me winning too, so I think it was a first great match in the main draw. Yeah, looking forward to the next round.” 

Popyrin was speaking after beating Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 at Court 5 at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers. Two years ago, Popyrin added to the list of surprising winners in Montreal with his spectacular run. He topped five straight Top 20 players, including three inside the Top 10. 

Besides landing the biggest title of his career, Popyrin seemed just as happy to be able to take a private plane — put up by the NBO — to his next stop of Cincinnati. Going back-to-back in Montreal would probably even be more unexpected than what happened in 2024. Whereas Popyrin was ranked No. 62 two years ago, this year he comes in at No. 139 and needed to go through qualifying. 

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He had lost six straight matches before qualifying where he benefited from a retirement win against fellow Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis.

But his comeback over the hard-nosed Burruchaga, who led by a set and 4-2, might kickstart his season.

“There’s a lot of work being done behind the scenes and something just clicks when I get here,” said Popyrin, who also made the quarterfinals last year in Toronto. “There is a lot of good memories and I think that helps but I know what I’ve been doing behind the scenes for the last two months or so. It’s baby steps for me and hopefully I can keep going.”

After his fruitful 2024 season — which also included beating Novak Djokovic at the US Open — Popyrin owns a 27-43 record. It continues the trend of Popyrin’s up and down ranking history. What has been the reason for the latest downturn?

“I think it’s got everything to do with mental. After the 2024 season, I had some stuff behind the scenes that not everyone knew of that was happening. I think it took a really big toll on me. I didn’t really deal with them and put them on the back marker,” he said without elaborating. He is also now trying to be kinder to himself on court. 

“Trying to just not take all the tough losses and tough times to heart and not relate my personal being to those losses,” he said. 

Popyrin, who will celebrate his birthday on Wednesday, encounters a sizable test in the second round against the rising Raphael Collignon. The Belgian made his first final last month in Gstaad — and beat Popyrin a few weeks earlier on grass in Halle.  

Meanwhile, the man Popyrin beat in the 2024 final, Andrey Rublev, exited at the hands of China’s Jerry Shang 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (5). Shang trailed 5-2 in the third set and saved five match points at 4-5 — on one of them, Rublev’s inside-out forehand narrowly went wide. Pablo Carreno Busta, the 2022 winner in Montreal, also departed, beaten by Valentin Royer 1-6, 7-5, 6-2. The now 35-year-old was two points away from winning in the second set.

Photo: Amélie Caron/Tennis Canada