Alexei Popyrin shocks Andrey Rublev to win first Masters 1000 title in Canada

The 25-year-old secured a commanding 6-2, 6-4 victory over the world No. 6 in Montreal on Monday, marking the biggest achievement of his career.

"It means everything to me - all the hard work, all the sacrifices I've made over the years," said Popyrin. "Not just for myself, but for my family, my girlfriend, my team - everyone who has sacrificed so much for me. Winning this for them is just incredible."

Popyrin, who began the tournament ranked 62nd in the world, now rises to a career-high 23rd in the ATP Rankings.

He also made history as the first man to win the Canadian Open on his main draw debut since Novak Djokovic's victory in Montreal in 2007. Popyrin had previously failed to qualify for the event in 2019, 2021, and 2022.

Rublev missed out on the title but was still pleased with his performance in Canada and the way in which he controlled his emotions.

"It's a very positive and a really good week. A really big step forward I think. I feel proud of myself that I was able to be really good all week mentally," Rublev said. "If we took me back a couple of months ago or even one month ago or even compare my match against [Popyrin] at Monte-Carlo when I was losing, I was behaving ten times more and it was the first round.

"Here it was a final. Much more pressure. I still showed a bit of emotion today, but compared to the matches when I was losing the same way, I think I did a much better job. That's why I had a little chance in the second set."

READ MORE: Leading lawmaker and agent says SA athletes need education when it comes to contracts