Alexei Popyrin’s US Open return begins with a qualifier carrying plenty of old danger

Alexei Popyrin has been handed a first-round matchup that looks less like a soft landing than an immediate examination of whether his New York power game can still bend a major draw.

The draw has produced a name, not an escape route Alexei Popyrin’s US Open campaign will begin against Grigor Dimitrov, but calling the Bulgarian a qualifier only tells half the story. Dimitrov has come through qualifying in New York, yet he arrives as a former world No. 3, a Grand Slam semifinalist and a player with substantial experience of making the biggest courts feel familiar.

The matchup is confirmed in the completed men’s singles draw, with Dimitrov listed as Popyrin’s first-round opponent. The pair are scheduled to meet on Monday, August 31, after Dimitrov reached the main draw without dropping a set in his opening two qualifying matches before receiving a walkover against Otto Virtanen in the final round. (atptour.com)

That makes this a difficult opening for Popyrin in a very specific way. There is no mystery about Dimitrov’s pedigree, but there is also no guarantee that the Bulgarian’s route through qualifying has left him carrying the usual first-round rust. He has already adjusted to the conditions, played competitive tennis on site and earned his place in the bracket.

Popyrin’s New York reference point remains impossible to ignore The Australian does, however, own a powerful piece of US Open history. Two years ago, Popyrin defeated defending champion Novak Djokovic in the third round, producing 50 winners in a four-set upset that remains the biggest Grand Slam victory of his career. He followed that result by pushing Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round, confirming that his best tennis can travel deep into a major when the first-strike game is working. (usopen.org)

That memory is useful context rather than a prediction. Popyrin is not facing Djokovic this time, and Dimitrov’s game presents a different problem. The Bulgarian can absorb pace, redirect with variety and change the shape of points with his backhand slice, movement and touch. Popyrin’s challenge will be to prevent those changes of rhythm from pulling him away from the patterns that make him dangerous.

The tactical test is power with enough patience Popyrin’s clearest route should begin with the serve. If he can earn short points behind his first delivery and establish control with the forehand, Dimitrov will be forced to defend rather than dictate. The danger for the Australian is allowing the match to become a sequence of low-percentage swings: Dimitrov is experienced enough to vary height and speed, draw errors from rushed attacks and make Popyrin hit one extra ball.

That is where this draw becomes a meaningful test of Popyrin’s current level. His power has never been the question. The question is whether he can sustain the disciplined version of it that appeared in New York during his 2024 breakthrough — the combination of heavy serving, committed returning and enough consistency to keep an elite opponent under pressure. ATP’s account of that Djokovic victory described Popyrin’s display as ‘Big-Man Tennis’, but the result was built on more than force alone. (atptour.com)

A main-draw place that arrived late now has to be used Popyrin’s presence in the tournament also carries a fresh layer of urgency. He was initially awarded a US Open wildcard, then moved directly into the main draw after Alejandro Davidovich Fokina withdrew on August 20. That allowed Tennis Australia’s reciprocal wildcard to be reallocated to Dane Sweeny , while Popyrin took the vacant direct-entry spot. (usopen.org)

The opportunity is now concrete: not a comeback narrative, not a protected invitation, but a first-round match against a high-profile opponent with a route into the second round available. Dimitrov’s qualifying status may make the fixture look unusual, yet his record and style ensure Popyrin cannot treat it as a routine opening.

For Popyrin, the target is straightforward. Recreate the authority that made him such a threat in New York before, but do it point after point against an opponent capable of changing the conversation whenever the Australian’s execution slips. The draw has offered him a stage and a recognisable name. What matters next is whether Popyrin can make Dimitrov feel the weight of his game from the first ball.

Sources US Open | Draws | ATP Tour | Tennis Novak Djokovic upset by Alexei Popyrin in 2024 US Open stunner | Official Site of the 2023 US Open Tennis Championships - A USTA Event Popyrin Stuns Djokovic at US Open | ATP Tour | Tennis Gael Monfils, Alexei Popyrin lead 2026 US Open men's wild cards | Official Site of the 2026 US Open Tennis Championships - A USTA Event US Open 2026 men’s singles draw Men’s qualifiers of the 2026 US Open: Dimitrov, Wong, Sakamoto and more Wong, Montgomery, Dimitrov qualify for 2026 US Open singles main draw Popyrin stuns Djokovic at US Open Davidovich Fokina, Nava withdraw from US Open