Popyrin rues opportunity lost after US Open exit to Tiafoe

Alexei Popyrin, aged 25, expressed regret over a missed chance following his elimination from the US Open in the fourth round on Sunday, just days after defeating 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who is 37 years old.

The Australian, known for his powerful serve, has been in exceptional form recently but was unable to overcome a motivated Frances Tiafoe on Sunday, thus missing the opportunity to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

"It certainly feels like a lost opportunity," he remarked to reporters after his defeat, which concluded with scores of 6-4, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3.

"I believe the match was decided by just one, two, or three points. He managed to win three more points than I did throughout the entire match, and he won three sets. This illustrates how closely contested it was."

Popyrin secured his first Masters title following a series of surprising victories at the Canadian Open in Montreal last month, which propelled him to a career-high ranking of world number 23.

In light of this achievement and his remarkable win over Djokovic, Popyrin remained composed despite his exit from the U.S. Open after a challenging match in the round of 16.

"I am telling everyone now, if someone had informed me at the beginning of the summer that I would be ranked 23rd in the world with a Masters title and advancing to the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time, I would have gladly accepted it, given my previous circumstances," he stated.

"Had I not won any matches in Montreal or Cincinnati, I likely would have fallen outside the top 90 in the world. Considering all of this, I believe it has been a very successful summer."

As Tiafoe advances in his quest to conclude his nation's lengthy search for a homegrown U.S. Open men's singles champion, Popyrin's recent achievements may inspire his fellow Australians to consider the possibility of a contender for the Australian Open title.

With Nick Kyrgios not expected to return to competitive play in the near future, Australia is in urgent need of viable candidates to break a 48-year championship drought that dates back to Mark Edmondson's victory in 1976.

"I haven't even considered that yet," Popyrin remarked with a chuckle.

"We have the Davis Cup, the Asian swing, and the indoor swing ahead of us. There is still a significant amount of tennis to be played this year. I believe I will take some time off now, as I am quite exhausted."