It’s safe to say that Reilly Opelka is back.
Opelka produced a couple of decent results in 2024 after returning from a hip problem and failed wrist surgeries, but his comeback reached entirely new heights on Friday at the Brisbane International. The 27-year-old American stunned 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic 7-6(6), 6-3 in the quarterfinals, firing 16 aces while advancing in one hour and 40 minutes. Opelka served at 77 percent, won an amazing 13 of 15 second-serve points, double-faulted just once, and saved the only break point he faced.
The former world No. 17 converted his second set point in the opening tiebreaker and then earned the match’s lone break at 2-1 in the second.
“I just focused on hitting my spots,” said Opelka, who missed basically all of 2022 and 2023–playing one match in the span of 23 months. “If I hit my spots, it is hard to get it back, but if anyone can, it is him. I was ready for that if it happened.
“He is the greatest tennis player the sport has ever seen. It is difficult being in Novak’s position because he can scout me all day long, but the reality is we have nothing to lose coming in against him. So you end up playing more free and take more risk. If you play your normal level or even a little above your normal level, he will win.”
Next up for Opelka is what is sure to a be a huge-serving showdown against a red-hot Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. The 21-year-old Frenchman captured an ATP 500 title in Basel toward the end of last season and has begun 2025 with Brisbane victories over Nick Kyrgios, Frances Tiafoe, and Jakub Mensik.
nice one, Opelka
Even Djokovic, with his experience, isn’t aware of how the marginal diminishing of his game can swing the match in favor of his opponents. Until he realizes that he can lose every match against these younger players, he won’t win another major.
He needs to understand that every match presents a chance of losing; it’s not like it was before. He will have to create something special to win another major.
The marginal diminishing of his game and the improvement of his opposition creates a significant swing in the probabilities that wasn’t there before.
he will be a different player in Melbourne