First-round action in Delray Beach continues on Tuesday, when an all-American matchup features Reilly Opelka and Chris Eubanks. Yoshihito Nishioka and Aleksandar Vukic will also collide in an intriguing contest.
Chris Eubanks vs. (WC) Reilly Opelka
It will be a huge-serving affair that is likely to be decided by small margins in tiebreakers when Opelka and Eubanks clash in round one of the Delray Beach Open on Tuesday night. This marks their third head-to-head matchup and first since 2019. Both of their previous encounters went Opelka’s way; 7-6(9), 7-6(5) at the 2016 Atlanta tournament and 6-4, 7-6(3) at the 2019 Washington, D.C. event.
Opelka is in resurgent form after missing much of 2023 and 2024 due to injuries. The 27-year-old American beat Novak Djokovic en route to the Brisbane final and is coming off a quarterfinal performance in Dallas. Eubanks has been unable to sustain 2023 success that included a title in Mallorca and a quarterfinal run at Wimbledon. The 28-year-old American has struggled at both the ATP and Challenger levels so far in 2025, leaving him outside the top 100 (currently No. 104). This is a winnable match for Eubanks and will probably be won by whoever serves better, but Opelka has more confidence right now and that should see him through the pressure-packed moments.
Pick: Opelka in 3
Yoshihito Nishioka vs. Aleksandar Vukic
Nishioka and Vukic will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers on Tuesday. The head-to-head series is tied up 2-2 after they split a pair of showdowns in the exact same tournament last summer. That’s right; they faced each other twice in Eastbourne. Nishioka prevailed 7-6(3), 6-4 in qualifying before Vukic–as a lucky loser–got revenge with a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) victory in the quarterfinals. Their only previous outdoor hard-court contest came two years ago in Atlanta, where Vukic survived in a third-set tiebreaker.
Nishioka’s status for Delray Beach is questionable, as the Japanese left-hander retired from his match this past Friday in Dallas due to a shoulder injury (quarterfinals vs. Casper Ruud). Vukic, on the other hand, is healthy and will be well rested after losing to Ben Shelton in the Dallas first round. The 67th-ranked Aussie has played pretty well this season (already owns four main-tour match wins), so he should be able to take advantage of an opponent who could be less than 100 percent.
Pick: Vukic in 3
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