Alexei Popyrin has posted his best career result at Indian Wells, becoming the first Australian into the third round in 2025.
Indian Wells, CA, United States, 8 March 2025 | Matt Trollope
Alexei Popyrin has begun his Indian Wells campaign on the perfect note, beating fast-rising Belgian Zizou Bergs in two tight sets.
The win moves Popyrin into the third round in the Californian desert for the first time in five main-draw appearances, where four more Aussies will attempt to join him on Saturday (California time).
SCHEDULE: Indian Wells order of play – Saturday 8 March
Unfortunately, Chris O’Connell is not one of them, after the Aussie fell to resurgent Italian Matteo Berrettini.
The former world No.6 held off a second-set push from O’Connell to seal a 6-2 7-6(2) win.
Popyrin, the 26th seed, received a first-round bye before confronting Bergs, who is currently at a career-high ranking of world No.53 after being outside the top 100 just nine months ago.
He led by an early break against the Australian, before Popyrin rebounded from 4-2 down to eventually claim the first set in a tiebreak.
Popyrin then broke in the 12th and final game of the match to complete a 7-6(4) 7-5 triumph.
He was animated after prevailing, reaching the last 32 for the first time after debuting in the main draw at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden six years prior.
Following a sluggish start to 2025, Popyrin has now won his opening match at his past two events (Dubai and Indian Wells).
He could go further at the year’s first Masters 1000 tournament when he takes on American Marcos Giron, who upset No.4 seed Casper Ruud in three sets.
Should he win again, it would be the fourth time Popyrin has progressed beyond the third round at a Masters-level event.
Popyrin’s best ATP Masters 1000 performances
Year
Masters event
Result
2023
Rome
4R
2023
Cincinnati
QF
2024
Montreal
Champion
2025
Indian Wells
?
With his win over Bergs, Popyrin has returned to the top 25 in the ATP live rankings.
Countryman Alex de Minaur, the No.9 seed, kicks off his Indian Wells campaign, also against a Belgian in David Goffin.
Rinky Hijikata and Adam Walton, who won first-round matches earlier in the week, take on seeds Brandon Nakashima and Denis Shapovalov respectively.
Qualifier Kim Birrell, the last remaining Aussie in the women’s field, faces 28th seed Elise Mertens.
By winning through to the second round at Indian Wells, this marks Birrell’s best ever performance at a WTA 1000-level event.
