Novak Djokovic is poised to take on Alexei Popyrin in the second round of the Australia Open 2024 on January 17 and the latter isn’t fazed by the challenge that awaits him.
Djokovic made it to the second round after beating Dino Prizmic in a four-set battle that lasted for almost four hours after which the Serb admitted that the Croatian made things difficult for him and expressed happiness he will have two days of rest to recover before the next match.
Popyrin, who defeated Marc Polmans 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-2 on Monday, weighed in on his upcoming encounter, saying Djokovic will have an advantage as he played on Sunday.
“It is what it is. Sunday starts, it's a 50/50 in the locker room for those who like it, for those who don't. He has an extra day, he requested a Sunday start, I'm sure, and then that's why he's playing on Sunday,” Popyrin said in his post-match press conference.
The Aussie also stated that he would “study” Djokovic ahead of their encounter and emphasised that the Serb is “no different” than the other opponents.
“[I’ll do my homework] like I always do before matches. Going to play against [Novak Djokovic] is nothing different than going to play against anybody else on tour. For me it's the same preparation; it's the same mentality,” Popyrin said.
“For me I need to have that confidence going in and the belief that I can win the match and that he is just the World No. 1, and he is just another player for me on the opposite side of the net. I need to focus what I have to do on the court.”
Djokovic has 24 Grand Slams to his name and 10 of them came at the Australian Open. As the Serb is all geared up to extend his tally to 25, young guns like Popyrin are set to create problems for him.
