“I was numb,” he told ABC Sport.<\/p>\n
“I didn’t feel sad. I didn’t feel happy. I just felt kind of like, yeah, this is what happens and I’ve never had that feeling before in my career, so for me it was very important to kind of figure out why very quickly and take some time for myself and my team.”<\/p>\n
Last month, the 26-year-old and his fiancee, Amy, flew to Bermuda, where Popyrin rediscovered his love of books.<\/p>\n
Loading Instagram content<\/p>\n
He has since read a book a week.<\/p>\n
“I’ve really gotten hooked on reading. I’ll basically do that in all my free time right now. And I’m in the sci-fi and fantasy kind of genre,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I’m reading this series called Red Rising and it’s been really good but right now I’m reading a classic book called 1984 by George Orwell.<\/p>\n
“It was really nice to disconnect and spend time with the people that I love.”<\/p>\n
Ed Sheeran’s number one fan<\/p>\n
The couple also saw Sheeran \u2014 their favourite musician \u2014 play a homecoming concert in the English city of Ipswich.<\/p>\n
“My favourite Ed Sheeran track is probably one that not many people know. It’s called You Need Me, I Don’t Need You,” explains the long-time fan.<\/p>\n
Kyrgios out again as Australians cop nightmare draw ahead of US Open<\/a><\/p>\n Nick Kyrgios’s season continues to be ruined by injuries as his Australian compatriots learn who they will be facing to start the US Open singles campaign next week.<\/p>\n Despite climbing to a career-best ranking of 19 this month, 2025 has been challenging for Popyrin. He dropped 18 places just before the US Open but remains Australia’s second-ranked male player, behind Alex de Minaur.<\/p>\n A change in coach \u2014 in fact, he now has two coaches \u2014 and a dip in his mental health provided some bumps. But Popyrin believes he is a better player now than he was last year, when he claimed the biggest win of his career by beating Novak Djokovic in the third round of the US Open<\/a>.<\/p>\n “I’ve got a pretty good record against top-10 players and for me the most important part is trying to get to that level, trying to be a top-10 player myself,” he said.<\/p>\n Can Popyrin become more consistent?<\/p>\n The win over Djokovic in New York last year was part of a dream run for Popyrin. It included winning his maiden Masters 1000 title \u2014 the first Australian to do so since Lleyton Hewitt in 2003.<\/p>\n This year’s US Open is another chance to show he is a more consistent performer.<\/p>\n Popyrin has played Novak Djokovic three times at majors in the past two years, winning one and losing two. (Getty Images: Sarah Stier)<\/p>\n “I’ve always been able to show up for the big matches against the big guys and cause trouble for them. But I’ve also not been consistent in beating the players that I should be beating,” he said.<\/p>\n The tall Australian has a tough draw but said he is not daunted by the prospect of playing world number one Jannik Sinner in the second round at Flushing Meadows.<\/p>\n “I’m the kind of player that enjoys those kind of matches, but all focus on the first round right now,” said Popyrin, who has drawn Finnish player Emil Ruusuvuori first up<\/a>.<\/p>\n After navigating burnout<\/a>, Popyrin believes he is on the right path to finding consistency.<\/p>\n It could come down to scheduling.<\/p>\n “Burnout is a very, very big thing in tennis right now,” Popyrin said.<\/p>\n “And I think a lot of it has to do with the two-week schedules, two-week Masters events. It’s a new thing that the coaches and the players don’t really know or are 100 per cent capable of scheduling correctly just yet.”<\/p>\n Burnout continues to plague the professional tennis circuit with de Minaur joining the chorus of players who say there is too much tennis<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n