{"id":444760,"date":"2026-01-29T08:38:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T08:38:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/444760\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T08:38:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T08:38:16","slug":"struggling-australian-tennis-star-alexei-popyrin-fails-again-in-off-broadway-challenger-match-against-ugo-blanchet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/444760\/","title":{"rendered":"Struggling Australian tennis star Alexei Popyrin fails again in off-Broadway Challenger match against Ugo Blanchet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Struggling Australian tennis<\/a> star Alexei Popyrin continues to be dogged by horrendous form woes, slumping to crushing defeat in an off-Broadway Challenger match in Bahrain.<\/p>\n

Just days after his first-round Australian Open exit<\/a>, Popyrin headed to the Challenger tournament in hope of some much-needed confidence, only to lose in straights sets to unheralded Frenchman Ugo Blanchet.<\/p>\n

It is a sad fall from grace for the struggling 26-year-old who rose to No.19 in the world in 2025.<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

In 2024 Popyrin won the Masters 1000 champion in Montreal, rubbing shoulders with Aussie legends Lleyton Hewitt, Mark Philippoussis and Pat Rafter as the only Australian men to win the Canadian Open title.<\/p>\n

Also in 2024, the Aussie had a famous victory over Novak Djokovic at the US Open.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s been a downhill slide since, amid a mental health break and a back injury.<\/p>\n

\"AlexeiAlexei Popyrin has not won a match in five months. Credit: Getty<\/p>\n

Following a rough end to 2025, he suffered first-round exits at the Brisbane International and Adelaide International.<\/p>\n

And he was out of the Australian Open in the first round, too, losing a five-set battle to Frenchman Alexandre Muller<\/a> at Melbourne Park.<\/p>\n

After that heartbreaking defeat, Popyrin was clearly devastated.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me it\u2019s really tough to take. I just think I do a lot. I work a lot. I think about my career a lot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd to have results like this and to have results that I\u2019ve had the last couple of months, and obviously to start the year, it\u2019s not easy to take, even though I feel like I\u2019m playing well and I feel like I\u2019m doing everything that I want to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, the results are just not coming, and I guess that\u2019s tennis sometimes.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut when it keeps happening … maybe I have to look at myself and see and really look deep inside because it can\u2019t keep going on like this.<\/p>\n

\u201cDisappointment. Yeah, obviously not happy …. I just couldn\u2019t come up with the finishing touch nearly three times today, and that\u2019s really disappointing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Popyrin is now on a nine-match losing streak and has not tasted victory in five months (since his first round match in the US Open in August).<\/p>\n

\u201cReal signs of confidence issues … Basically (choked) the Muller match on home soil. Had four set points against Blanchet in set 2 and couldn\u2019t close. Feel for the guy, love his game when he\u2019s ripping,\u201d said social media account Newmark Tennis.<\/p>\n

Fans were also in shock over Popyrin\u2019s rapid slide and latest defeat.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs Popyrin finished? Nine-match losing streak. Dude won a Masters 1000 a year and a half ago,\u201d one fan wondered on a tennis forum.<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty shocking. Tries to break his eight-match losing streak by playing a Challenger and this happens. … Playing a lot of tournaments, but losing first round in each means he\u2019s not really playing much at all,\u201d another added.<\/p>\n

Tennis Tipster said: \u201cPopyrin is clearly in a bad phase, dealing with injuries and lack of rhythm. That 2\u20130 line was excessive and, in hindsight, didn\u2019t make sense for my portfolio.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another fan said on X: \u201cThat is absolute madness …,\u201d while another added: \u201cPopyrin went to gain match confidence (only) to destroy it even more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another said: \u201cI\u2019m starting to get concerned for the guy\u2019s mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Press conference turns ice cold as journo wipes Novak from history<\/p>\n

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