Alexei Popyrin wins maiden Masters 1000 title in Montreal

Alexei Popyrin defeated Andrey Rublev to win the biggest title of his career in Montréal, Canada on Sunday night.

The 25-year-old Australian who had a perfect record in ATP Tour finals, defeated his Russian opponent Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4 in less than two hours to become the first Australian Masters 1000 champion in 21 years.

Surging to a career-high of world no. 23 in the ATP Rankings after claiming five Top 20 wins whilst reprising his win over Rublev in this year’s Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, saved all four break points he faced in the first set, before powering to victory on centre court in Montreal.

“It means the world, for all the hard work I’ve put in over the years, all the sacrifices I have made,” said Popyrin, who is the first Australian Masters 1000 winner since Lleyton Hewitt won Indian Wells 21 years ago in 2003.

“Not just me, but my family, my girlfriend, my team, everybody around me. They have sacrificed their whole lives for me and for me to win this for them is just amazing.”

With a 6-2, 6-4 win over Andrey Rublev in the Montreal final, he has become the first Australian man to win a Masters 1000 title since Lleyton Hewitt in 2003.

He is the first player to record five Top 20 wins at an event since Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals, and first to do so since Holger Rune’s run to the 2022 Rolex Paris Masters title.