A first Masters title, a career-best Grand Slam showing, a new peak ranking and six wins over top-10 players – including the great Novak Djokovic – have helped Alexei Popyrin score a 2024 Newcombe Medal nomination.
Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 6 December 2024 | Matt Trollope
Year in review
Popyrin has had a stellar year, breaking into the top 25 and establishing himself as a legitimate threat for the game’s biggest titles.
He set a career-high ranking of world No.23 shortly after securing his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal, an unforgettable week in Canada saw him beat five consecutive top-20 players – three of whom were in the top 10.
RELATED: Seven Aussies nominated for Newcombe Medal
This was followed by his stunning run at the US Open, where he upset defending champion Novak Djokovic to reach the fourth round at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.
Popyrin finished the season with wins over six top-10 opponents, posted a third-round finish at Wimbledon, and significantly improved his ranking from a low of No.63 in early August.
Popyrin was also impressive when representing his country.
He made his Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Games and advanced to the third round of the singles, beating 16th seed Nicolas Jarry and Stan Wawrinka along the way. He also won two of his three singles rubbers in the Davis Cup Finals group stage, helping Australia return to the Final 8.
Newcombe Medal history
Popyrin’s consistency and growth have earned him his second nomination for the Newcombe Medal.
Reaction
“The nomination means a lot to me,” Popryin said.
“It’s great to be recognised after the year I’ve had, the best year of my career so far. It’s just a great honour to be nominated. The rest of the nominations, they’ve all had great years, it shows that Australian tennis is going the right way.
“Jordan has had an unbelievable year in both singles and doubles. Matt and John have won the gold medal, and Alex has solidified himself in the top 10. Max has had a great year on the doubles court and Olivia, she’s had an unbelievable year also breaking the top 100 and making the final in Mexico.
“It’s unbelievable for Australian tennis and it’s just great to be nominated in the same page as all these great players.
“It’s been a great year for everybody, and anybody is open to winning for sure.”
The Newcombe Medal, Australian Tennis Awards will be held on Monday 9 December at Melbourne’s Palladium Ballroom.
Follow along on Tennis Australia’s social channels as the evening unfolds using the hashtag #Newks24.
Find out more about the awards, including award categories and previous recipients.
