THE MODERATOR: The draw is out, there are lots of Aussies in contention. You're playing Chris O'Connell first match. Have you thought about what you're going to be doing at that match?
ALEXEI POPYRIN: Not yet actually. No, but I played him last year, but it was on a different surface, different conditions. I'll be ready for the match no matter what. Looking forward to playing a fellow Aussie, even though it's in the first round. It's not always easy.
No, it will be a good match.
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. You said you played him last year. How did you find him, and what did you take from that match?
ALEXEI POPYRIN: I actually played really well that match. I think I won in straight sets. It was the first round of the Rome Masters 1000. I think clay is probably my favorite surface. He likes it, too, but I think his favorite surface is hard court.
I'm not going in there with a big head or anything because I won the last match. I'm expecting a really tough match. Just looking forward to getting out there and playing the first match of the year, honestly. It's been a while since my last match in Davis Cup. Yeah, it will be fun.
Q. Could you talk about the success of Australian men's tennis generally?
ALEXEI POPYRIN: Yeah, definitely. The culture that we've built, the culture we have in Australia now with the men's tennis doing so well, also the women's tennis doing so well, I think it just goes to show that I think the tennis here, the setup that we have here in Australia, is amazing for juniors and coming-up players.
As you can see, I think we've got three different matches where Aussies are playing each other in the men's main draw. That's a symptom of there being just a lot of Aussie players.
It's not that easy. We wish we would play other players, not just each other, but it's going to be fun.
Q. How good is it to be playing back in Australia again?
ALEXEI POPYRIN: Definitely, it's amazing. We wait the whole year to come back and play at home, to play in front of the home crowd. The support I got last year was absolutely amazing in Melbourne and Adelaide. For me to play here the first time since 2019, I think that was the last time the tournament was on, is going to be amazing. Hopefully the crowd will be the same. I'm sure it will.
Q. You've been out here hitting for the last couple of days. Heat wave yesterday, pouring rain today. How have you adjusted?
ALEXEI POPYRIN: Yeah, the heat the last two days was absolutely brutal. It's not the kind of conditions that I think anybody is used to. But it won't be this hot the next week. It will just be raining. We have covered courts, so we'll be ready.
I think it's going to be much more humid under the courts, so the balls will get bigger and the courts will play slower. Yeah, as tennis players, you have to adjust to the conditions that you're given. That's what we do. That's what we do best.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports