Dubai: For Dubai ballkid Alexei Popyrin, who was crowned the junior boys’ champion at the French Open late on Saturday, the enormity of his achievement is yet to sink in.
Popyrin, who played in the qualifying rounds for the first time at the Dubai Duty Free Men’s Open this year, became Australia’s second French Open boys’ champion of the professional era when he defeated Spain’s Nicola Kuhn 7-6 (5), 6-3 in Saturday’s final at Roland Garros.
Seeded No. 3, the Sydney-born Popyrin — who spent a few years honing his tennis skills under local coaches, including Zeeshan Ali (now India’s tennis captain), Jean-Francois Danican and Sigi Meeuws, became Australia’s first boys’ champion in Paris since Phil Dent in 1968. Popyrin joins legends such as Roy Emerson, Ken Rosewall and John Newcombe as the fifth Australian to have his name added to the honour roll in the event’s 70-year history.
“I had dreamt of this moment for a real long time. I am still pinching myself to convince myself that I am indeed a Grand Slam champion at last,” a gleeful Popyrin told Gulf News before leaving for Nice en route to Marbella on a short well-deserved holiday.
“Traditionally, Aussies have not been successful on the clay of Paris. So to record a second achievement of breaking a nearly 50-year taboo gives me that much of added satisfaction,” Popyrin added.
Growing up in Dubai, a nine-year-old Alexei and younger brother Anthony worked as ball kids during the 2009 Dubai Tennis Championships. Along with mum Elena and dad Alex, the two Popyrin kids used to regularly train at the tennis clubs located at Al Wasl Club.
Since moving out of the UAE, the Popyrin family set up base in Spain in late 2010 from where the two boys continued with their tennis careers while participating in Futures tournaments around the world.
Earlier this year, Alex requested Tournament Director Salah Tahlak for a wild card at the Dubai Men’s Open and was obliged. “When I look back, I see the start of my tennis dream in Dubai. Then playing at the Dubai Open was so important for me and now just three months later, I am standing as a Grand Slam champion,” Popyrin mused.
“At the start of 2017 it was a dream to play in Dubai. Now suddenly, a boy who played in Dubai is a Grand Slam champion. And the dream has just got all that bigger, and all thanks to Dubai and the people who backed me during those growing up years,” the 17-year-old added.
“A Grand Slam was a major part of my dream. Now it is time to go about and achieve something even bigger. I have the confidence and the game to set even higher targets for the future,” he said.
Dad Alex, who had not stopped partying since Saturday night, was also brimming with pride. “We’ve been the worse. There have been so many ups and down for all of us, but we’ve stuck together as a family and today, we can say with pride that we made it happen. Looking back, it has been good fun all along and everybody is loving it now,” he said.
Colm McLoughlin, Dubai Duty Free’s Executive Vice Chairman and Ceo was pleased to have played a part in yet another success story from Dubai. “We wish him all the best for the remainder of the season and hope to see him back in Dubai next year,” McLoughlin said.
Tournament Director Salah Tahlak, Dubai Duty Free’s Executive Vice President - Commercial Services was pleased at seeing Popyrin do so well at Roland Garros. “As one of our former ball kids, we were happy to give Alexei a wild card to the qualifying rounds this year coinciding with the 25th anniversary of our tournament. And now for him to go on and win the French Open Junior title is just fantastic news,” Tahlak said.
