The shocking confession of Popyrin: "Every time I lose, I feel that I don't deserve to be happy"

Carlos Navarro - 2 Sep 2026 | 16:42
Alexei Popyrin US Open 2026 ATP

The Australian, who made his debut with a victory in New York, left a few words that demonstrate the fierce self-demand required in a sport like tennis. The testimony is, at the very least, striking.

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Popyrin and a brave and shocking confession.

Being an absolute passionate about the sport you practice can have, at times, harmful consequences for health. Tennis players live for and by their profession, away from home for long periods of time, coexisting with defeat as a regular companion and giving everything for a dream pursued by millions of people. Finding balance is a challenge that defines your mood: those who achieve it find a simpler path to success; those who don’t may even fall into a harsh spiral. This is the case of Alexei Popyrin.

The Australian's name burst onto the tennis elite like a bomb after he won the title at the 2024 Montreal Masters 1000. Alexei finally got rid of the thorn embedded from his youth, showing promise and talent but lacking a present that validated his possible future... and he did it in style, defeating Rublev in the final and breaking into an exclusive club of winners. With that triumph, of course, come the doubts, the pressure, the labels, the self-imposed demands to prove that it wasn't just a fluke. Managing such a victory mentally is not easy, and when defeats start to appear, the circuit can become an impossible mountain to climb.

Popyrin’s shocking confession about tennis and happiness

From touching the sky, entering the top 20 in the world, to falling outside the top 100 and having to start over. The Australian was unable to replicate results of this caliber and has seen how in just a year and a half, his name has become synonymous with the typical list of players who shine in a tournament... and nothing more. That's why every victory takes on colossal importance, even more so if it occurs in a Grand Slam and at the hands of a legend like Grigor Dimitrov.

Alexei defeated the Bulgarian in the first round of a US Open where he seeks a tennis resurrection, but if there’s something noteworthy about that victory, it’s the words of the Australian that followed. It’s not easy for a tennis player to open up with the transparency that Popyrin has shown, who openly admits that he has been battling his inner demons for quite a few months: his testimony is more than just an exercise in introspection, not even self-criticism but a kind of warning to all those who subordinate their happiness solely to results on a tennis court.

"After Wimbledon, I became an absolute wreck. Every time I lost, and this is something that still happens to me, I felt that I didn’t deserve to have fun. After each defeat, I thought I didn’t deserve to be happy. I was worried: I thought I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my wedding because of tennis, and when that thought first crossed my mind, I said to myself: 'Okay, something is really wrong, and I need time to figure out what and put an end to this'. 

I am in a process where I am trying not to associate my results with how I feel and my worth as a person. I try to approach them in a way that they are part of my journey. The place I am in is where I am, and what I must do is keep trusting the process I am going through." It’s a simple and accurate reflection, a precise yet brave testimony, a small beacon for all those great athletes unable to enjoy the present because of something as mundane as a result. The Australian's goal is nothing more than to stay away from injuries, accumulate victories... and to do it, of course, while enjoying a process that can lead him to new successes.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La impactante confesión de Popyrin: "Cada vez que pierdo siento que no merezco ser feliz"