American Reilly Opelka is having a comeback for the ages at Brisbane International. The 27-year-old former Top 20 player, who has been out of the game for the better part of two years, defeated Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals but did not stop there.
Opelka followed that win with a semifinal victory over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard who defeated Nick Kyrgios and Frances Tiafoe in previous rounds. Both Opelka and Mpetshi Perricard are tall, big-serving men who put on a serving showcase in the semifinals.
Reilly Opelka is known for his big serving, but what I’ve noticed this week is how good he is playing from the baseline. His groundstrokes have great pace, depth and accuracy which means he’s able to dictate rallies.
Great to see him play like this! 👏pic.twitter.com/Y3jUhKTVHI
— Pavvy G (@pavyg) January 4, 2025
Reilly Opelka is approaching his success with gratitude as he was not sure if he could ever play competitive tennis again after hip and wrist surgeries in 2022 and 2023.
Reintroducing the most stylish man in tennis, Reilly Opelka.
This is a 6’11” man who sits first row with Venus Williams at fashion shows, travels the world in parallel of the tour to see art galleries, and even reps one on court.
In August 2022, he underwent hip surgery to… pic.twitter.com/MSoK0kcA1I
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) January 4, 2025
During his time off the court, Opelka stayed close to the game with appearances on the Tennis Channel. He is an articulate and likable man who American fans are cheering for. Opelka broke the Novak Djokovic winless drought for the American men who were winless against him since 2016 and has his sights set on the Brisbane International title.
Reilly Opelka vs. Jiri Lehecka Brisbane International Final
Opelka will face Jiri Lehecka who won his semifinal match when Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire due to injury.
As with his previous opponents, Djokovic and Mpetshi Perricard, Opelka has never faced Lehecka.
Lehecka is a 23-year-old rising star from the Czech Republic. He is ranked 28th and won his first career ATP title in 2024 at Adelaide.
Opelka’s early 2025 success earned him a spot in the ASB Classic draw scheduled to begin next week.
