'I have to prioritise mental health': Alexei Popyrin announces taking break from tennis after Wimbledon first-round exit

Australia’s Alexei Popyrin has revealed that he is set to take a break from tennis after suffering a defeat in the first round of Wimbledon 2025. The 25-year-old, who is currently placed in the 22nd spot in the ATP rankings, is going through a lean patch.

He suffered a defeat in the opening round of the third Grand Slam to Britain’s Arthur Fery with a score of 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. This was Popyrin’s 14th defeat in 26 matches this year. The Sydney-born player spoke to the media after the match, stating that he is looking to take a break from tennis. Popyrin stated that he ‘felt numb’ during the encounter, something he does not want to feel on the court and something he never thought he would feel.

“I have to not see a tennis court or a tennis racquet for a little bit,” he said. “After today’s match, I just felt numb - I didn’t feel sad, I didn’t feel happy, I just felt numb. And that’s not a feeling that I’ve ever had before. I think that just shows the fact that I understand why this result happened, because I was under-prepared and demotivated going into Wimbledon. And that’s something you know that can’t happen again.”

Popyrin further went on to elaborate on the reason behind taking such a drastic measure and admitted that ‘mental fatigue’ and ‘wrong decisions’ have played a significant role in him feeling like that on the court during the tournament opener in London. “It’s a combination of mental fatigue and wrong decisions in terms of scheduling,” said Popyrin.

Before coming to Wimbledon, Popyrin featured in the Queen’s Club Championship, where he suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Britain’s Jack Draper in the second round with a score of 3-6, 6-2, 7-6. Popyrin stated that even after that match, he did not feel like seeing a tennis racquet against. He further went on to state that he does not feel it is fine to lose like he did on Monday, where he felt ‘absolutely horrendous’.

“Usually after a match like that, I’m kind of pumped up and I’m looking forward to Wimbledon,” he said. “But this time I was like, I really don’t want to see a tennis racquet. I’m not going to come to you and say, ‘Yeah, I feel horrendous’ before a slam. So I guess I sugar-coated it. There’s a way you can lose while playing great tennis and coming off the court feeling great. Or you can lose like I did today and feel absolutely horrendous. It’s these kind of losses where you have to take a step back and say, ‘Why am I in? Obviously I’m upset, but I’m not upset because of today. I’m upset because of everything that’s happened beforehand. I should know myself better. I have to take time off. I have to prioritise mental health. I have to prioritise. I want to feel motivated again and clear in the way that I want to play going into the American swing. I need to disconnect from tennis ... and I know for a fact if I do that, I’ll be able to I’ll be able to play well again.”