Updated July 01, 2019 08:22:32

Photo: Alexei Popyrin serves to Lucas Pouille during day six of the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 19, 2019. (AAP: Lukas Coch)

He describes himself as one of the most "low key" people you could meet. But when Alexei Popyrin walks onto the tennis court, he's a different person.

"I wear a lion on my necklace. For me, it represents my fighting spirit. When I go on court, I try to bring the lion out of myself," he says.

It's already been a huge year for the lion-hearted Aussie.

He categorises his third-round appearance at the Australian Open as the "best, most surreal experience" of his life.

Since then he's quietly gone on to make the second round at the French Open and broken into the top 100.

Playing on grass for the first time in three years, he's made it through qualifying to debut in the main draw at Wimbledon.

"When I go out there, I want to make people fall in love with tennis," Popyrin says.

"That's important to me, I want to be an inspiration. When I go on the court it's to put on a show, it's a fight to the death."

The 19-year-old is open about his ambitions but modest about what he's already achieved.

Photo: Popyrin has hit with Serena Williams and is a regular training partner of Novak Djokovic. (AAP: David Crosling)

He says that "like every player" he'd like to "win multiple slams and be number one in the world".

But if you mention the French Open junior title he won in 2017 and ask what it was like to return to Paris this year and see his name on the honours list, the answer is he didn't.

"Is my name written somewhere? I would have no clue," he laughs.

"That stuff doesn't really interest me. I had long hair at the time, so people don't recognise me from that anyway. Once you make it to the pros, winning a junior really isn't a big deal."

Born in Sydney to Russian parents Elena and Alex, Popyrin started training at the Kim Warwick academy when he was exactly five years and nine months.

The 1980 Australian Open finalist remembers his exact age for a reason.

"You don't forget the day someone like him walks through the door. I knew he was special. He was unique because he listened to everything," Warwick says.

"He always had such a strong belief in himself. That's a unique attribute."

Popyrin, who moved to Dubai with his family when he was eight before relocating to Spain a few years later, has remained in touch with Warwick.

"I'm still very receptive to being coached. I think it's just how I'm wired. Even when I was young, I always knew where I wanted to go," he says.

"Deep down I've always had that belief that if I stuck with it, if I kept working at it, then definitely something would come out of it. I have a long way to go but I still have that belief."

Cash on his side

Photo: Popyrin recently broke into the world's top 100 for the first time. (Reuters: Lucy Nicholson)

He's added former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash to his team ahead of the grass court season.

Having not played on the surface since his junior days, he's not thinking past his round one clash with Pablo Carreno Busta.

"Pat is the sort of character that gives you confidence in your game. He'll praise you, but he'll also tell you what you're doing wrong.," Popyrin says.

"He's one of the best grass court players who has ever lived so just to pick his brain is amazing for me. I just want to have fun and learn as much as I can from him."

Based in France, Popyrin trains at the Patrick Mouratoglou academy.

Mouratoglou is Serena Williams's coach and when the Aussie won his junior title at Roland-Garros, he offered him the opportunity to hit with the 23-time Grand Slam champion.

"When I first hit with her I was a bit star struck. She's a legend of the sport. It was a very intense practice, I'm not going to lie. She hits and she just doesn't miss. She's so impressive," Popyrin says.

These days, Popyrin is a regular hitting partner of world number one Novak Djokovic.

While he says these sessions have become somewhat "normal", he likes to bring his best form.

"He'll often come up to me and say, 'You're hitting great'. It's always a relief when he does, because when you're hitting with the world number one, then you want to have a good hit. But at the same time, you're focusing on what you have to do, what you have to work on," he says.

While training and being coached by high-profile names is part of his daily routine, Popyrin says the person who has influenced his career more than anyone, is much closer to home.

"My mum is my inspiration. I don't remember the last time she missed a training session. She's definitely never missed a match," he says.

"The sacrifices she's made are the reason I am where I am right now. I'm so grateful for everything that she's done for me. She still kicks my ass sometimes," he laughs.

Popyrin faces Carreno Busta tonight (AEST).

Topics: tennis, sport, melbourne-3000, vic

First posted July 01, 2019 05:00:06