NEW YORK – The goalposts are changing for Reilly Opelka in the pro tennis world, and he knows it.
The former Indian Trails Middle School student is no longer talked about as a “future” American tennis star, or discussed in terms of his potential in the next few years.
He’s getting very close to his prime, having just turned 24 last week, much closer to his prime than opponents usually get to his 140-miles per hour heat-seeking missiles of a serve.
And the expectations for the 7-footer are growing; maybe not in his own head, where he’s always stayed grounded and not verbalized specific goals.
But in the tennis world in general, he’s pretty darn close to “arriving.”
There are a lot of firsts for Opelka at this year’s U.S. Open, which began Monday.
It’s the first year he’s seeded at his home Slam, entering as the No. 22 seed, the second-highest rated American male player.
This is also the first year he’s being talked about as a top American threat to go deep in the tournament (the New York Post, always the bastion of understatement, did a story on him Saturday and called him Paul Bunyan-esque, alluding to Opelka’s shaggy beard, and hyped up his chances as only a New York City tabloid can.)
It’s also the first year in a long time he’s coming into the Tournament relatively healthy; usually by this point in the tennis calendar his 7-foot frame is beat up, but he said in an interview Friday he’s feeling “really well” and thinks the rigors of a 3-of-5 set tournament will test him well.
“I’ve got to test my body to see what happens with four, five three-out-of-five-set matches and see what happens. That’s the only reason why I say I don’t know if I’m ready. I’m not being negative; I’m just being realistic,” Opelka said Friday. “I think it’s just another step along the way that needs to happen so I can learn more about myself.”
Tuesday on Court 17 of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Opelka did what veteran high seeds are supposed to do: Take out a tricky opponent in straight sets, saving your body and energy for future rounds.
Struggling in the opening set, Opelka used his skills and experience to turn back Soonwoo Kwon of South Korea, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-4.
Opelka blasted 33 aces, including a 141-miles per hour serve, and made just 31 unforced errors to 55 winners.
It was a clean, efficient performance, exactly what the big fella was hoping for.
“I started off with some adversity the first couple of games, he was returning really well, and then I started to pick up my levels,” Opelka said after the win. The match went on, I made some good adjustments and played really well, especially in the third set. I served great, which took a lot of pressure off myself.”
That pressure from the outside has only increased after Opelka’s fantastic run to the finals in Toronto in early August, when he beat a Top 5 player (Stefanos Tsitsipas) and acquitted himself well in the finals, a straight sets loss to No. 2 Daniil Medvedev.
Beyond the results, what has been most striking about Opelka in 2021 is the almost-complete absence of the negative body language on court that used to plague him. A function of maturity, and of coaching, he has eliminated those negative actions and emotions on court, and it has clearly made him a better player.
“It’s a team effort,” said one of Opelka’s two coaches, Jean-Yves Aubone (Jay Berger is his other coach). “We talk about the mental side of things more than anything. That’s the most important thing at this level of tennis. Reilly understands that the best chance he has to win is when he’s calm and positive. From there he can stay clear and make the right decisions on the court. It’s not always perfect but Reilly will be the first one to admit when he wasn’t clear minded.”
For Opelka, the positivity on the court has come with a lot of difficult, close matches when he didn’t come out on top.
“It just kind of comes from when you’re sick and tired of losing 7-6 in the third in big matches. You can’t keep just going about things the same way. You get the same outcome. It all comes from having faced that, like, moment before,” Opelka said.
“I’d say it wasn’t always like that, but I’d have to lose a lot of tough matches and learn a lot of tough lessons and face a lot of adversity to learn how to handle those moments better. It’s really the only way. There are a few people that are naturally born with it. Roger has done great, Rafa. But there’s only two, three guys like that. But you’ve got to learn. You’ve got to learn from the tough ones, unfortunately. We can call them the bad losses or the heartbreakers, but that’s what makes guys better.”
Opelka’s next opponent, Italy’s 19-year-old Lorenzo Musetti, will provide a stiff test. Musetti, making his U.S. Open debut, reached the fourth round of the French Open this year and is up to No. 60 in the world. The two played once this year, in Rome on clay, with Opelka snaring a 6-4, 6-4 win.
“First time we played he’d never seen anyone like me; I’m a unique player,” Opelka said. “I think this time he’ll deal with me a lot better, and be more comfortable playing me. It’s going to be tough.”
Opelka knows that, as good as he’s feeling today, there are no certainties in this fortnight at the Open.
“I mean, I would love to carry my momentum through this week. But everyone’s tough here. There’s no such thing as a good draw anymore. I think it’s been that way probably for the past 10, 15 years. Maybe in the past you would see some first rounds that weren’t so close. Now anyone can beat anyone.”
Opelka has gone from the hunter to the hunted. The role seems to suit him well.
–Michael Lewis for FlaglerLive
scott olsen says
When does he play next? Will it televised?
FlaglerLive says
Thursday, ESPN.