Aussie tennis player follows Alex de Minaur’s lead with brave and sad decision after Wimbledon.
De Minaur spoke out recently about his own struggles after a brutal start to the year.
Aussie tennis star Alexei Popyrin has decided to take a leaf out of Alex de Minaur’s book after announcing plans to take a break from the sport, following his disappointing first round exit at Wimbledon. Popyrin was one of seven Aussies to crash out on a disastrous opening day at The All England Club after suffering a shock four-set defeat to British World No.481 Arthur Fery.
It continued a rollercoaster 18 months for the World No.22, who’s beaten big guns Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev and Casper Rudd across that period. But Popyrin also has 14 losses in his 26 matches this year and revealed after his shock Wimbledon defeat that mental and physical fatigue had taken its toll.
Popyrin told reporters after the loss against Fery that he felt “demotivated” in the build-up to the year’s third grand slam. And after failing to pick himself up for the clash against the British wildcard, the Aussie realised he needed to give his mind and body a break from the rigours of tennis for a while.
“I have to not see a tennis court or a tennis racquet for a little bit,” Popyrin said. “After today’s match, I just felt numb — I didn’t feel sad, I didn’t feel happy, I just felt numb. And that’s not a feeling that I’ve ever had before.
“I think that just shows the fact that I understand why this result happened, because I was under-prepared and demotivated going into Wimbledon. And that’s something you know that can’t happen again.” The Aussie admits he ‘sugar-coated’ the way he was feeling before Wimbledon but concedes the loss was a wake-up call that he needs to prioritise his mental health.
“Obviously I’m upset, but I’m not upset because of today. I’m upset because of everything that’s happened beforehand,” he added. “I should know myself better. I have to take time off. I have to prioritise mental health. I have to prioritise.
“I want to feel motivated again and clear in the way that I want to play going into the American swing. I need to disconnect from tennis … and I know for a fact if I do that, I’ll be able to I’ll be able to play well again.”