The Australian Open 2025: Alexei Popyrin losses to Corentin Moutet in shock loss

Australian hopeful Alexei Popyrin has been knocked out of the Australian Open hours after Alex De Minaur won his opening match.

Popyrin, seeded for the first time at Melbourne Park, suffered a shock upset loss to Frenchman Corentin Moutet 4-6, 6-3 ,6-4 ,6-4.

The Australian won the first set but battled a left hip/lower back complaint and a cramping hamstring midway through the second set, leading No.25 seed to be run ragged by Moutet at John Cain Arena.

A small contingent of French fans cheered Moutet on as the stunned crowd tried to will Popyrin to a comeback win, but the World 69 held off Popyrin in the fourth set to seal the victory.

It was a hammer blow for Popyrin, who was attempting to kick on from his bumper 2024, which included claiming a Masters 1000 title in Montreal and brilliantly upsetting the great Novak Djokovic to reach the fourth round at the US Open.

Moutet, who complained on social media platform X on Saturday he had been denied the opportunity to practice on a main court four days in a row, was happy to wind up the home crowd and play the villain, including attempting an underarm serve at one point.

“Just disappointed because I missed my underarm serve,” Moutet joked, noting it was tough to face an Australian and their home crowd.

“But it looks like you (the crowd) were enjoying more when I was missing than when I was winning (points).”

Popyrin, 25, took an hour and nine minutes to claim a gritty opening set where he had to save nine break points.

But Popyrin started to look proppy in the second set and took a medical timeout when trailing 3-2 on serve, receiving treatment on his left hip/lower back area for several minutes.

When he held at 3-3, Popyrin complained about his hamstring cramping.

Moutet broke Popyrin to take a 5-3 lead and easily served out the set.

An animated Popyrin pointed to his hamstring at the set break, then went over to his coaching team for consultation.

He had his serve broken in the opening game of the third set and Moutet went up 4-0 as a dejected Popyrin looked lost for answers.

Moutet claimed the third set, despite a brief Popyrin fightback, then broke him in the opening game of the fourth.

The Australian got the set back on serve but was broken again at 4-4.

Popyrin saved two match points on Moutet’s serve but the Frenchman claimed victory on his third attempt.

He will next play American qualifier Mitchell Krueger, who beat fellow Australian Rinky Hijikata earlier on Tuesday.

with AAP