WEBVTT - The Sit-Down with Alexei Popyrin

0:00:02.200 --> 0:00:05.080
<v Speaker 1>Hello, and welcome to the sitdown. I'm Viv Christie, managing

0:00:05.200 --> 0:00:07.400
<v Speaker 1>editor of US joe In Tennis magazine.

0:00:06.880 --> 0:00:09.240
<v Speaker 2>And I'm Mattrolope, a writer for oz open dot Com

0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:13.320
<v Speaker 2>and viv this week, why are we sitting down with Alexipopperin.

0:00:12.920 --> 0:00:15.720
<v Speaker 1>Well, we are sitting down with Alexi because he is

0:00:15.880 --> 0:00:18.760
<v Speaker 1>riding an absolute high in his career at the moment.

0:00:18.960 --> 0:00:22.560
<v Speaker 1>He arrives at the US Open as a seated player

0:00:22.600 --> 0:00:24.919
<v Speaker 1>for the first time at a Grand Slam tournament, on

0:00:24.960 --> 0:00:28.200
<v Speaker 1>the back of his first ATP Master's one thousand title

0:00:28.320 --> 0:00:29.560
<v Speaker 1>in Montreal. Yeah.

0:00:29.760 --> 0:00:31.760
<v Speaker 2>Now, I actually didn't do this interview. It was you

0:00:32.080 --> 0:00:34.960
<v Speaker 2>and John Hooven, us host of the Aoshow Weekly, and

0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:37.640
<v Speaker 2>you guys were lucky enough to catch Alexi early Melbourne

0:00:37.680 --> 0:00:40.000
<v Speaker 2>time from New York, which was really cool and it

0:00:40.080 --> 0:00:41.720
<v Speaker 2>was just great to hear him talk about the kind

0:00:41.760 --> 0:00:43.480
<v Speaker 2>of place he's out in his career at the moment,

0:00:43.560 --> 0:00:45.680
<v Speaker 2>the wave of confidence he's riding and you know what

0:00:45.760 --> 0:00:46.440
<v Speaker 2>might lie ahead.

0:00:49.800 --> 0:00:51.760
<v Speaker 1>Alexi, thank you for joining us today.

0:00:52.400 --> 0:00:53.680
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, good to be here. Thank you.

0:00:54.000 --> 0:00:56.280
<v Speaker 1>We are talking to you in what we would have

0:00:56.320 --> 0:00:58.800
<v Speaker 1>to describe as a career best season. You've had a

0:00:58.840 --> 0:01:01.680
<v Speaker 1>third round run at the Olympics, a series of top

0:01:01.720 --> 0:01:05.680
<v Speaker 1>ten wins, and our first ATP Masters one thousand title.

0:01:05.760 --> 0:01:07.920
<v Speaker 1>It must be feeling pretty good for you right now.

0:01:08.480 --> 0:01:11.520
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's definitely feeling good. You know, I've had it,

0:01:12.000 --> 0:01:14.520
<v Speaker 3>I would say, up to this point, a little up

0:01:14.560 --> 0:01:19.119
<v Speaker 3>and down year, topsy turvy year. But yeah, last week

0:01:19.200 --> 0:01:21.400
<v Speaker 3>really really showed that I'm able to play at that

0:01:21.480 --> 0:01:24.800
<v Speaker 3>level and play consistently at that level, which is, you know,

0:01:24.840 --> 0:01:26.880
<v Speaker 3>a testament to all the hard work we've done over

0:01:26.920 --> 0:01:27.839
<v Speaker 3>the past two years.

0:01:27.959 --> 0:01:31.920
<v Speaker 4>An incredible run and some big performances within that Montreal

0:01:32.000 --> 0:01:36.240
<v Speaker 4>title with wins over Shelton, dimetro of her catch quarter

0:01:36.600 --> 0:01:39.480
<v Speaker 4>and rub lev tell me first of all about the

0:01:39.520 --> 0:01:42.640
<v Speaker 4>personal significance of this title win.

0:01:43.120 --> 0:01:47.560
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's definitely it's massive for me. You know, I

0:01:47.560 --> 0:01:50.640
<v Speaker 3>don't take many players in their career, go through their

0:01:50.640 --> 0:01:53.120
<v Speaker 3>career when you know, and win a Mass one thousand,

0:01:53.960 --> 0:01:56.560
<v Speaker 3>and for me to be able to do that is honestly,

0:01:57.080 --> 0:02:00.440
<v Speaker 3>it is a dream come true. But at the same time,

0:02:00.480 --> 0:02:02.480
<v Speaker 3>you know, the work doesn't stop here. You know, we

0:02:02.560 --> 0:02:04.560
<v Speaker 3>still have goals and we saw have ambitions or our

0:02:04.640 --> 0:02:07.800
<v Speaker 3>own as a team where as to where we want

0:02:07.840 --> 0:02:09.360
<v Speaker 3>to get to it or how we want to play

0:02:09.400 --> 0:02:11.600
<v Speaker 3>and it's definitely not the last Master final that I

0:02:11.639 --> 0:02:15.520
<v Speaker 3>want to play in and try and win. So you know,

0:02:15.560 --> 0:02:19.079
<v Speaker 3>I've got big ambitions and know we were straight back

0:02:19.120 --> 0:02:21.640
<v Speaker 3>to work as soon as soon as we were done.

0:02:22.160 --> 0:02:24.360
<v Speaker 4>Fantastic attitude. And I'm sure you would have seen some

0:02:24.400 --> 0:02:27.440
<v Speaker 4>of the media coverage back home here in Australia where

0:02:27.680 --> 0:02:30.119
<v Speaker 4>a lot of the focus was on the historical significance

0:02:30.120 --> 0:02:32.440
<v Speaker 4>the first Australian man in twenty one years to win

0:02:32.480 --> 0:02:36.000
<v Speaker 4>a title of this magnitude, and of course that was

0:02:36.040 --> 0:02:38.680
<v Speaker 4>since Leyton Hewitt. So what does it mean to you

0:02:38.720 --> 0:02:41.519
<v Speaker 4>to have been the first man in over two decades

0:02:41.560 --> 0:02:43.800
<v Speaker 4>to replicate what he did at Indian Wells in two

0:02:43.880 --> 0:02:44.480
<v Speaker 4>thousand and three.

0:02:45.360 --> 0:02:49.960
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's definitely an honor. You know, I think Lane's

0:02:50.000 --> 0:02:52.960
<v Speaker 3>been a really big part of kind of my my

0:02:53.280 --> 0:02:56.880
<v Speaker 3>professional career, you know, as David's cub captain, as you know,

0:02:57.240 --> 0:03:01.720
<v Speaker 3>is kind of, you know, the kind of role model

0:03:01.800 --> 0:03:05.280
<v Speaker 3>leader that all Aussie boys inside the top und all

0:03:05.320 --> 0:03:07.760
<v Speaker 3>Aussie talnis players kind of looked to. And you know

0:03:07.800 --> 0:03:10.320
<v Speaker 3>he's really helped a lot throughout all of our careers

0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:12.440
<v Speaker 3>and you know, to have him by my side and

0:03:13.160 --> 0:03:15.160
<v Speaker 3>kind of, you know, kind of helped me along the

0:03:15.160 --> 0:03:18.520
<v Speaker 3>way is really amazing. And for me to be able

0:03:18.560 --> 0:03:21.240
<v Speaker 3>to you know, win this title and first since he

0:03:21.280 --> 0:03:24.680
<v Speaker 3>did it is a true honor and definitely something I'm

0:03:24.680 --> 0:03:26.240
<v Speaker 3>really proud of, Alexi.

0:03:26.320 --> 0:03:29.320
<v Speaker 1>Who else would you say has been influential in your

0:03:29.360 --> 0:03:30.079
<v Speaker 1>career so far?

0:03:31.680 --> 0:03:33.920
<v Speaker 3>You know, I think my team right now that I have,

0:03:35.320 --> 0:03:39.040
<v Speaker 3>my two coaches have been have been unbelievable for me,

0:03:39.440 --> 0:03:42.240
<v Speaker 3>Nevil Godwin and Xavier in the least. I think those

0:03:42.320 --> 0:03:45.119
<v Speaker 3>two they came in at around about the same time,

0:03:45.360 --> 0:03:48.680
<v Speaker 3>never came in a little bit later than Xavier, and

0:03:49.320 --> 0:03:52.800
<v Speaker 3>you know, they kind of flip my game upside down

0:03:53.000 --> 0:03:57.520
<v Speaker 3>and kind of mentally helped me get back on the

0:03:57.600 --> 0:04:02.839
<v Speaker 3>right track after my very disappointing year into the twenty two.

0:04:03.240 --> 0:04:06.160
<v Speaker 3>And also, you know, the team, the rest of the

0:04:06.160 --> 0:04:11.400
<v Speaker 3>team that I've surrounded myself, Valentine match is your I Evan,

0:04:11.480 --> 0:04:13.680
<v Speaker 3>my sitness coach who I recently hired, and I think

0:04:13.720 --> 0:04:17.000
<v Speaker 3>he was kind of the missing piece and the puzzle,

0:04:17.400 --> 0:04:19.680
<v Speaker 3>you know, he was. He's been believable since he's been

0:04:19.680 --> 0:04:23.000
<v Speaker 3>on the team, kind of integrated in straight away and

0:04:23.000 --> 0:04:26.159
<v Speaker 3>also baftly I can't. I can't forget my family, you know,

0:04:26.200 --> 0:04:29.200
<v Speaker 3>the the sacrifices that they've made for me and then

0:04:29.240 --> 0:04:31.880
<v Speaker 3>my brother for our tennis careers. You know, they've they've

0:04:31.880 --> 0:04:34.760
<v Speaker 3>really sacrificed so much, you know, leaving Australia at a

0:04:34.839 --> 0:04:38.520
<v Speaker 3>very early age and kind of focusing on tennis, and

0:04:39.000 --> 0:04:42.240
<v Speaker 3>my parent and my mom not missing a match or

0:04:42.279 --> 0:04:45.560
<v Speaker 3>practice until I was about to twenty one, twenty two

0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:49.200
<v Speaker 3>years old, which is amazing, and my dad, you know,

0:04:49.279 --> 0:04:51.560
<v Speaker 3>always finding a way to be able to pay for

0:04:51.600 --> 0:04:53.640
<v Speaker 3>all of this because you know, tennis isn't chieved at all,

0:04:53.680 --> 0:04:59.239
<v Speaker 3>and it's it's it's definitely something that I'm eternally grateful

0:04:59.240 --> 0:04:59.760
<v Speaker 3>for my parents.

0:04:59.800 --> 0:05:04.000
<v Speaker 4>For a big rankings rise following that title, and that

0:05:04.040 --> 0:05:07.159
<v Speaker 4>means you'll be entering the US Open as a seed.

0:05:07.480 --> 0:05:09.960
<v Speaker 4>Tell me about what that does to your mindset, entering

0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:13.080
<v Speaker 4>a major as a seed, the good and the bad aspects.

0:05:13.960 --> 0:05:19.160
<v Speaker 3>I don't think that's much different to entering a tournament

0:05:19.160 --> 0:05:20.719
<v Speaker 3>of seed on not the seed. You know, for me,

0:05:21.279 --> 0:05:24.400
<v Speaker 3>it's it's really important the process that we kind of

0:05:24.440 --> 0:05:27.880
<v Speaker 3>implement before the tournament and during the tournament, you know,

0:05:27.920 --> 0:05:31.120
<v Speaker 3>because it's it's it's there's no different. You know, you

0:05:31.160 --> 0:05:33.200
<v Speaker 3>go to every Grand Slatin and you try and win it.

0:05:33.800 --> 0:05:39.200
<v Speaker 3>And for me, that's always been kind of my idea.

0:05:39.360 --> 0:05:43.520
<v Speaker 3>I've always thought that I could go deep in Slams,

0:05:43.560 --> 0:05:45.719
<v Speaker 3>and you know, I think I've showed it with consistent

0:05:45.760 --> 0:05:48.000
<v Speaker 3>third round runs and haven't been able to kind of

0:05:48.040 --> 0:05:50.560
<v Speaker 3>pass the third round hurdle, which has been a shame.

0:05:50.920 --> 0:05:53.119
<v Speaker 3>I've had some close matches over the past few years.

0:05:53.120 --> 0:05:56.679
<v Speaker 3>But you know, for me, it's it's not not much changes.

0:05:56.720 --> 0:05:58.880
<v Speaker 3>You know, the preparation is still the same, the mentality

0:05:58.920 --> 0:06:00.720
<v Speaker 3>is still the same. You go into might try to

0:06:00.760 --> 0:06:03.480
<v Speaker 3>win it and then we see what comes.

0:06:03.600 --> 0:06:06.599
<v Speaker 4>You know, last week on the podcast, we had Simon

0:06:06.720 --> 0:06:09.960
<v Speaker 4>Ray from the Game Insight Group and Dad some analysis

0:06:10.200 --> 0:06:14.240
<v Speaker 4>on your performances in Montreal and notice that your return

0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:17.280
<v Speaker 4>of serve numbers were just through the roof, growing exponentially

0:06:17.560 --> 0:06:20.360
<v Speaker 4>throughout the latter stages of that title. Have you been

0:06:20.440 --> 0:06:22.960
<v Speaker 4>putting work into that area.

0:06:22.760 --> 0:06:23.479
<v Speaker 1>Of your game?

0:06:23.960 --> 0:06:27.600
<v Speaker 4>If not, where have you been focusing your attention this year?

0:06:28.200 --> 0:06:32.200
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's definitely something that we've we've highlighted as a

0:06:32.200 --> 0:06:36.480
<v Speaker 3>place that we have to improve in. We have been

0:06:36.520 --> 0:06:39.920
<v Speaker 3>putting work, but not kind of over the top work,

0:06:39.960 --> 0:06:42.320
<v Speaker 3>and all we've been focusing on is our return. It's

0:06:42.360 --> 0:06:44.600
<v Speaker 3>not that kind of work, but there were a few,

0:06:44.760 --> 0:06:47.520
<v Speaker 3>you know, adjustments that we made. And also I feel

0:06:47.560 --> 0:06:50.840
<v Speaker 3>like this year I've been returning much better on the

0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:54.440
<v Speaker 3>faster surfaces. For some reason, it's just sort of clicked

0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:56.560
<v Speaker 3>in my head a little bit since the start of

0:06:56.600 --> 0:06:59.560
<v Speaker 3>the year. Honestly, again, you know, that's something that comes

0:06:59.560 --> 0:07:01.440
<v Speaker 3>to you as a tennis player just naturally. You know,

0:07:01.480 --> 0:07:05.120
<v Speaker 3>it's just some things click unexplainably, and you're able to

0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:07.160
<v Speaker 3>return a little bit better, or hit a forehand a

0:07:07.200 --> 0:07:09.400
<v Speaker 3>little bit better, or serve a little bit better, and

0:07:10.520 --> 0:07:14.200
<v Speaker 3>you know, you try and understand those feelings and you

0:07:14.320 --> 0:07:16.480
<v Speaker 3>just roll with them, honestly, And that's what that's what

0:07:16.520 --> 0:07:18.600
<v Speaker 3>I've been doing in the last few months. And I

0:07:18.640 --> 0:07:20.920
<v Speaker 3>feel like on the grass I returned quite well. I

0:07:20.920 --> 0:07:24.080
<v Speaker 3>was quite comfortable returning on the grass, and also honestly

0:07:24.120 --> 0:07:26.200
<v Speaker 3>on the clay. So for me, it's it's been a big,

0:07:26.560 --> 0:07:30.960
<v Speaker 3>big improvement and and it's something that hopefully will continue improving.

0:07:32.080 --> 0:07:34.880
<v Speaker 3>But you know, we've been working a lot on my

0:07:34.960 --> 0:07:37.520
<v Speaker 3>serve actually, that's probably been the main thing that we've

0:07:37.520 --> 0:07:42.560
<v Speaker 3>been focusing on trying trying to have a variety, variety

0:07:42.560 --> 0:07:44.280
<v Speaker 3>on my serve. You know, I'm able to serve you know,

0:07:44.320 --> 0:07:47.400
<v Speaker 3>a big two thirty kilometer an hour serve. But for

0:07:47.440 --> 0:07:49.600
<v Speaker 3>me to be able to change the pace, change the

0:07:50.560 --> 0:07:55.360
<v Speaker 3>change the direction, that's that's something that kind of you know,

0:07:55.400 --> 0:07:57.280
<v Speaker 3>it took me a while to kind of grass because

0:07:57.960 --> 0:08:00.000
<v Speaker 3>you know, when you're able to serve big, you kind

0:08:00.360 --> 0:08:03.080
<v Speaker 3>just want to continue serving beag. But it becomes quite

0:08:03.120 --> 0:08:05.640
<v Speaker 3>easier to return, believe it or not, because players get

0:08:05.640 --> 0:08:08.360
<v Speaker 3>adjusted to it and they kind of start figuring out

0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:10.080
<v Speaker 3>what you do. So if you start mixing it in

0:08:10.760 --> 0:08:14.880
<v Speaker 3>a few kicks when they least expected, then you know

0:08:14.920 --> 0:08:19.520
<v Speaker 3>your first the big bomb becomes more effective. Great insights, Alexi.

0:08:19.640 --> 0:08:22.440
<v Speaker 1>You say that you said that not much changes for

0:08:22.520 --> 0:08:26.560
<v Speaker 1>you after winning in Montreal, But what about the perspective

0:08:26.640 --> 0:08:29.440
<v Speaker 1>and I guess the confidence boost that you gain from

0:08:29.600 --> 0:08:32.960
<v Speaker 1>beating such a series of big names, and you know

0:08:33.000 --> 0:08:35.960
<v Speaker 1>you also save match points against Dimotrov in that run.

0:08:36.679 --> 0:08:41.840
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's definitely it's definitely helps with the confidence. But

0:08:42.160 --> 0:08:46.200
<v Speaker 3>I don't think me beating what one top ten player,

0:08:46.800 --> 0:08:48.760
<v Speaker 3>you know, is something new. You know, I've been able

0:08:48.800 --> 0:08:51.560
<v Speaker 3>to do it in the past a few times. But

0:08:51.880 --> 0:08:53.880
<v Speaker 3>for me, the biggest thing that I keep saying after

0:08:53.880 --> 0:08:57.880
<v Speaker 3>that tournament is beating three of those top ten players

0:08:57.960 --> 0:09:01.640
<v Speaker 3>and five top twenty players in one week. That kind

0:09:01.679 --> 0:09:05.880
<v Speaker 3>of consistency, it doesn't come easy and it's not something

0:09:05.920 --> 0:09:08.439
<v Speaker 3>that you know, I've been able to do in my career.

0:09:08.480 --> 0:09:10.240
<v Speaker 3>And that was kind of the first week while I

0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:12.560
<v Speaker 3>was able to put you know, a string of six

0:09:12.640 --> 0:09:16.760
<v Speaker 3>matches against high quality opponents and beat them. So for me,

0:09:16.880 --> 0:09:20.720
<v Speaker 3>that's that's the most pleasing thing and the most that's

0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:22.920
<v Speaker 3>the thing that builds the most confidence in me.

0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:28.280
<v Speaker 1>How much inspiration did you take from your Olympics experience.

0:09:28.360 --> 0:09:30.680
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, there's been. There was a lot of inspiration honestly,

0:09:30.720 --> 0:09:33.880
<v Speaker 3>you know, seeing other athletes, seeing other you know, the

0:09:33.920 --> 0:09:36.520
<v Speaker 3>best athletes in the world and there and their respective sports,

0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:40.360
<v Speaker 3>you know, seeing how they go about their business. You know,

0:09:40.400 --> 0:09:42.480
<v Speaker 3>it kind of gives you a liarm of inside as

0:09:42.520 --> 0:09:44.320
<v Speaker 3>to how you should be going about your business. And

0:09:44.840 --> 0:09:46.640
<v Speaker 3>you know, it just showed me that what I've been

0:09:46.679 --> 0:09:48.920
<v Speaker 3>doing was kind of the right thing. As all athletes,

0:09:48.960 --> 0:09:52.240
<v Speaker 3>you know are super focused on the nutrition, super focus

0:09:52.280 --> 0:09:54.200
<v Speaker 3>on their gym work, and you know, they go and

0:09:54.200 --> 0:09:56.240
<v Speaker 3>do their head stuff. But off the court, you know

0:09:56.320 --> 0:09:59.920
<v Speaker 3>that they're amazing human beings and you know, I think

0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:03.280
<v Speaker 3>think it's I think that just you know, highlighted the

0:10:03.320 --> 0:10:06.920
<v Speaker 3>faact that you know, what I was doing was the

0:10:07.000 --> 0:10:09.120
<v Speaker 3>right part and the right way and that I just

0:10:09.120 --> 0:10:10.880
<v Speaker 3>had to stick with it. In one of these days

0:10:11.400 --> 0:10:13.760
<v Speaker 3>it would click and you know that that's something that

0:10:13.960 --> 0:10:17.319
<v Speaker 3>you know, being in that big village seeing other athletes,

0:10:17.320 --> 0:10:20.280
<v Speaker 3>seeing how they worked. Yeah, highlight But at that.

0:10:21.160 --> 0:10:24.600
<v Speaker 1>Watching from Afar, it seemed like there's well it always

0:10:24.600 --> 0:10:27.559
<v Speaker 1>does seem like there's such a great team spirit among

0:10:27.600 --> 0:10:30.760
<v Speaker 1>the Australian players. Does does it help to spend time

0:10:30.840 --> 0:10:33.560
<v Speaker 1>with the likes of Layton and obviously you're friends with

0:10:33.600 --> 0:10:35.960
<v Speaker 1>Alex and other players.

0:10:35.800 --> 0:10:39.160
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it definitely does for sure. No, I think us

0:10:39.200 --> 0:10:41.840
<v Speaker 3>as a Davis Cup squad, you know, we've made back

0:10:41.880 --> 0:10:45.360
<v Speaker 3>to back Davis Cup finals and that wouldn't come if

0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:49.040
<v Speaker 3>we didn't get along as a squad as players and

0:10:49.280 --> 0:10:51.640
<v Speaker 3>also the boys that haven't been on the Davis Cup squad,

0:10:51.679 --> 0:10:55.920
<v Speaker 3>you know, like viog Oags, you know, Rinky, you know

0:10:56.000 --> 0:10:59.240
<v Speaker 3>all of those guys. We all get along super well.

0:10:59.280 --> 0:11:01.480
<v Speaker 3>You know, we all go we try and get a

0:11:01.600 --> 0:11:03.440
<v Speaker 3>round of golf and every now and then. You know,

0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:06.040
<v Speaker 3>me and Demon have been close since we've been kids,

0:11:06.080 --> 0:11:08.720
<v Speaker 3>you know, and we've kind of been pushing each other

0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:13.640
<v Speaker 3>to higher standards and to kind of improve in our game.

0:11:13.720 --> 0:11:18.640
<v Speaker 3>And that's kind of the competitiveness that you want in

0:11:18.679 --> 0:11:22.520
<v Speaker 3>tennis and in sport. And you know, I think having

0:11:22.520 --> 0:11:25.439
<v Speaker 3>so many players inside the top hundred now seeing then

0:11:25.480 --> 0:11:31.720
<v Speaker 3>we can and helping them and kind of and practicing

0:11:31.720 --> 0:11:34.400
<v Speaker 3>together and helping each other, you know that not many

0:11:34.400 --> 0:11:36.200
<v Speaker 3>countries have this, and we're super lucky to have it,

0:11:36.240 --> 0:11:37.720
<v Speaker 3>and we definitely don't take it for granted.

0:11:38.080 --> 0:11:41.400
<v Speaker 1>And you know, obviously the odd round of golf here

0:11:41.440 --> 0:11:44.000
<v Speaker 1>and there. What else are you doing off court to

0:11:44.040 --> 0:11:45.920
<v Speaker 1>decompress away from tennis?

0:11:47.640 --> 0:11:52.040
<v Speaker 3>Honestly, A lot of it is golf. I just I

0:11:52.080 --> 0:11:56.800
<v Speaker 3>love my golfum because yeah, I to be honest, I

0:11:56.840 --> 0:11:59.240
<v Speaker 3>travel with my golf clubs to some places to be

0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:02.120
<v Speaker 3>able to play, to be afule to play golf, well

0:12:03.360 --> 0:12:06.760
<v Speaker 3>you know, uh yeah, And you know I like to

0:12:06.800 --> 0:12:11.160
<v Speaker 3>spend time with Tim, but a lot of the time,

0:12:11.760 --> 0:12:14.200
<v Speaker 3>you know, I I just really enjoyed playing golf and

0:12:14.200 --> 0:12:16.440
<v Speaker 3>and you know, spending time with my girlfriend off the court.

0:12:16.480 --> 0:12:18.079
<v Speaker 3>You know, we like to go to some plays here

0:12:18.120 --> 0:12:21.120
<v Speaker 3>and there. We'd like to go to dinner together, So

0:12:21.160 --> 0:12:24.960
<v Speaker 3>it's a it's very Yeah, I have a few things

0:12:24.960 --> 0:12:27.079
<v Speaker 3>that I like to do and sometimes when I really

0:12:27.240 --> 0:12:29.240
<v Speaker 3>like it, I like to I like to play and PlayStation.

0:12:30.080 --> 0:12:31.640
<v Speaker 3>So that's that's that's about it.

0:12:32.160 --> 0:12:34.920
<v Speaker 1>We know that you're famously close to your family. As

0:12:35.000 --> 0:12:38.200
<v Speaker 1>as you mentioned earlier, what was their reaction after your

0:12:38.360 --> 0:12:39.480
<v Speaker 1>your winning Montreal?

0:12:40.320 --> 0:12:44.160
<v Speaker 3>Surely it was amazing. I think I called them as

0:12:44.160 --> 0:12:46.319
<v Speaker 3>soon as I got into the gym and and called

0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:48.880
<v Speaker 3>my girlfriend and added my family to the to the

0:12:48.960 --> 0:12:53.640
<v Speaker 3>chat and to the call, and yeah, there were tears flowing,

0:12:53.720 --> 0:12:57.080
<v Speaker 3>there was a there was a lot of congratulations and

0:12:57.080 --> 0:13:00.920
<v Speaker 3>and uh, super proud and some time as my parents

0:13:02.240 --> 0:13:04.160
<v Speaker 3>can get a little bit ahead of themselves and say,

0:13:04.200 --> 0:13:06.880
<v Speaker 3>you know, go win the slab now, and I was thanks,

0:13:07.040 --> 0:13:08.439
<v Speaker 3>I'm trying to tell them, you know, I just take

0:13:08.480 --> 0:13:11.520
<v Speaker 3>it easy, let's enjoy this one first and then and

0:13:11.559 --> 0:13:15.120
<v Speaker 3>then we'll think about the rest. So yeah, but honestly,

0:13:15.760 --> 0:13:18.120
<v Speaker 3>everybody was just super proud, and you know, they know

0:13:18.160 --> 0:13:19.839
<v Speaker 3>that I wouldn't be able to do this without them,

0:13:19.880 --> 0:13:21.880
<v Speaker 3>and I'm eternally grateful to them.

0:13:22.000 --> 0:13:23.880
<v Speaker 4>Alexie, if you can take your mind back to the

0:13:23.920 --> 0:13:26.200
<v Speaker 4>start of the year, a lot of players, I guess

0:13:26.240 --> 0:13:28.920
<v Speaker 4>cast their goals for the year. Can you tell us

0:13:28.960 --> 0:13:31.160
<v Speaker 4>what your goals were at the beginning of twenty twenty

0:13:31.160 --> 0:13:33.760
<v Speaker 4>four and how they've changed now that you've got this

0:13:33.880 --> 0:13:36.000
<v Speaker 4>Master's one thousand title under your belt.

0:13:36.720 --> 0:13:38.720
<v Speaker 3>You know, I think in terms of goals, I don't

0:13:38.760 --> 0:13:42.600
<v Speaker 3>really set myself goals. I like to go buy the

0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:44.880
<v Speaker 3>you know, the day to day work, the goals off

0:13:44.920 --> 0:13:47.240
<v Speaker 3>the court in practice and how we and how we

0:13:47.280 --> 0:13:51.040
<v Speaker 3>practice and how we go about our business, and that

0:13:51.160 --> 0:13:54.280
<v Speaker 3>for me is the most important thing. And the ranking

0:13:54.320 --> 0:13:58.680
<v Speaker 3>and the results will naturally come if you're able to

0:13:58.679 --> 0:14:01.640
<v Speaker 3>do it consistently. So for me, it's that's a huge

0:14:01.679 --> 0:14:05.440
<v Speaker 3>part of the process, and goals is not really a

0:14:05.440 --> 0:14:08.240
<v Speaker 3>big thing for me. I really don't like setting ranking goals,

0:14:08.240 --> 0:14:11.160
<v Speaker 3>au toonament goals or any of that stuff, because for me,

0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:15.400
<v Speaker 3>it just it puts my mind. I only focus on that,

0:14:15.880 --> 0:14:18.079
<v Speaker 3>and for me, that's not the that's not the way

0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:18.800
<v Speaker 3>to go about it.

0:14:19.240 --> 0:14:21.600
<v Speaker 1>What are you most looking forward to over the next

0:14:21.640 --> 0:14:22.479
<v Speaker 1>few months.

0:14:23.400 --> 0:14:26.600
<v Speaker 3>I'm just I know it's a it's getting a little

0:14:26.600 --> 0:14:29.320
<v Speaker 3>bit old, but just the process, honestly, just the just

0:14:29.400 --> 0:14:32.520
<v Speaker 3>the constant work off the court. For me, that's that's

0:14:32.560 --> 0:14:35.280
<v Speaker 3>the most enjoyable thing, you know, going to going to

0:14:35.320 --> 0:14:37.800
<v Speaker 3>the gym, practicing on court with my team, spending some

0:14:37.920 --> 0:14:40.040
<v Speaker 3>time with my team, you know, on on and off

0:14:40.040 --> 0:14:42.200
<v Speaker 3>the court, you know, for me, that's that's the that's

0:14:42.200 --> 0:14:44.720
<v Speaker 3>the thing that I look to the most. And then

0:14:44.760 --> 0:14:47.600
<v Speaker 3>for me, you know, the confidence that I have right now.

0:14:47.720 --> 0:14:50.360
<v Speaker 3>I was telling my team the other day that, you know,

0:14:50.440 --> 0:14:54.400
<v Speaker 3>it's so amazing to be able to play tennis when

0:14:54.400 --> 0:14:59.280
<v Speaker 3>you're high on confidence, because I've I've been really low

0:14:59.320 --> 0:15:03.640
<v Speaker 3>in confidence and that's really not enjoyable at all. But

0:15:03.680 --> 0:15:05.640
<v Speaker 3>to be able to step on court and feel like

0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:09.400
<v Speaker 3>you're able to produce any shot or do anything, that's

0:15:09.400 --> 0:15:12.880
<v Speaker 3>a feeling that you try and keep forever. And that's

0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:14.400
<v Speaker 3>the feeling that I'll be trying to keep for a

0:15:14.520 --> 0:15:17.400
<v Speaker 3>very wrong time, just to play in confidence. Because you know,

0:15:17.480 --> 0:15:20.640
<v Speaker 3>these guys in the top ten, top five, you know,

0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:23.040
<v Speaker 3>I think they constantly nearly we can week out play

0:15:23.080 --> 0:15:26.000
<v Speaker 3>with confidence, and they can produce the kind of shots

0:15:26.000 --> 0:15:30.280
<v Speaker 3>and tennis that they're producing. We can weak out and

0:15:30.520 --> 0:15:32.800
<v Speaker 3>that's something you know, you take one week on Montreal,

0:15:32.880 --> 0:15:35.960
<v Speaker 3>you feel like that confidence flowing, you wanted to proceed

0:15:36.000 --> 0:15:39.240
<v Speaker 3>into the next week, and that's that's something that I'm

0:15:39.280 --> 0:15:42.120
<v Speaker 3>looking for, but to hopefully I can continue that confidence going.

0:15:42.480 --> 0:15:45.000
<v Speaker 1>Well, it sounds like you are enjoying your tennis a lot,

0:15:45.040 --> 0:15:47.440
<v Speaker 1>and we are certainly enjoying watching you as well.

0:15:47.760 --> 0:15:50.000
<v Speaker 3>Thank you very much. Yeah, it's definitely fun playing tennis

0:15:50.080 --> 0:15:50.480
<v Speaker 3>right now.

0:15:53.720 --> 0:15:56.720
<v Speaker 2>Well, Viv, that was a great check. Congratulations. I really

0:15:56.880 --> 0:15:59.360
<v Speaker 2>enjoyed the note that that interview finished on. I'm really

0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:03.240
<v Speaker 2>enjoying my tennis. You can just hear that Alexi and

0:16:03.280 --> 0:16:05.360
<v Speaker 2>all the work he's doing, the team he's got around him,

0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:08.160
<v Speaker 2>and the momentum he's built. He's really enjoying writing that wave,

0:16:08.200 --> 0:16:10.600
<v Speaker 2>and it sounds like he's very excited to see where

0:16:10.640 --> 0:16:13.440
<v Speaker 2>his career might go from here. So I think US

0:16:13.480 --> 0:16:14.640
<v Speaker 2>Open could be really interesting.

0:16:14.920 --> 0:16:17.640
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, thank you, Matt. It was really great to catch

0:16:17.720 --> 0:16:21.080
<v Speaker 1>up with Alexi and he is obviously in a really

0:16:21.120 --> 0:16:24.480
<v Speaker 1>great spot at the moment. He's enjoying his tennis. He's

0:16:24.480 --> 0:16:26.920
<v Speaker 1>feeling a real sense of belonging. I think after such

0:16:26.960 --> 0:16:30.040
<v Speaker 1>a series of great wins in Montreal, and yeah, I'm

0:16:30.120 --> 0:16:33.040
<v Speaker 1>equally excited to see what he does next. Yeah, we'll

0:16:33.040 --> 0:16:35.560
<v Speaker 1>be back next week with another episode of sit Down,

0:16:35.640 --> 0:16:37.400
<v Speaker 1>and in the meantime, you can tune into John and

0:16:37.480 --> 0:16:39.640
<v Speaker 1>the team on The Aos Show weekly on Thursday.

0:16:39.960 --> 0:16:41.720
<v Speaker 2>Details for how to contact us are in the show

0:16:41.720 --> 0:16:44.840
<v Speaker 2>notes below, and please remember to subscribe, rate, and review.

0:16:44.960 --> 0:16:46.080
<v Speaker 2>We'll see you next week, vib.

0:16:46.040 --> 0:16:46.680
<v Speaker 1>Look forward to it.

0:16:46.680 --> 0:16:46.920
<v Speaker 3>Matt