“My brother had more talent and hit the ball better than I did,” Alexei Popyrin once declared. Tennis is no stranger to tales of unfulfilled potential and twists of fate that often bring complexities and hurdles to a player’s journey. Alexei Popyrin’s brother, Anthony, also had to go through a similar phase. Shedding light on those dark times, the Aussie tennis pro, Alexie, shared the disheartening story of when his brother had a major setback in his tennis career as a teenager.

Both the Popyrin brothers started playing tennis at a very young age, under the guidance of their father. Soon, Alexei Popyrin and his brother, Anthony, both showed promise in tennis. And their parents, entirely invested in training them together, made them participate in different tournaments, intriguing their interest even more. “We’ve traveled an awful lot for my tennis and my brother’s. We traveled around Europe and played on clay. The main reason for these trips was to play on clay,” he once said. However, when Alexei Popyrin’s younger brother Anthony was only 14 years old, his tennis dreams were crushed as an injury struck him.

“I always said my brother had more talent and hit the ball better than I did. Unfortunately, at 14, he suffered an unlucky injury in the bone on his toe. It took him a year and a half to recover, and that set him back,” the 24-year-old player said to ATPTour. According to the atptour website, Anthony Popyrin, with his two-handed backhand approach, has a rank that is below 1500, unlike his brother, who is the No. 3 Australian player. Nevertheless, Popyrin is aware of his brother’s impressive talent and says, “If it wasn’t for his injuries, he would have been where I am too.”

However, Anthony Popyrin has not entirely left the sport, as he still plays tennis but not at a higher level. On tennis courts, we might never see the brothers fighting their battles together or against each other, but off-court, their bond remains the same as ever. Alexei Popyrin, who was forbidden to sleep in the same room with his brother at night as a kid (as they never slept but “acted crazy”) still keeps in touch with Anthony.

“He’s still my best friend, and I’m his best friend. We text every single day and we know that we’re there for each other all the time.” Apart from his brother, he is also close to his parents and is “grateful” for their contributions to his career in tennis.

Alexei Popyrin’s parents are “super proud of” him 

The former World No. 38’s next target at Wimbledon is overpowering the Serbian tennis player, Novak Djokovic. But whatever be the result, the Aussie knows that he will always have the support of his family, be it during his triumphs or defeats. Referring to his parents, Elena and Alex Popyrin, he once stated, “I know my parents are proud of me, even for the achievements I have now – and they’re not many – but they’re still super proud of me and the player and the man I’ve become.”

Furthermore, the two-time singles title winner added, “I will always be grateful to them for all the sacrifices they have made for me and my brother, for the many journeys they have had to travel, for leaving their comfortable situation in Australia just for my tennis.”

Alexei Popyrin’s brother’s journey might not be as he imagined, but Popyrin hopes to carry forward his family’s dream and show his talent on one of the grandest tennis platforms!