American Reilly Opelka, 25, hasn’t played since Washington last August. Reilly is currently ranked 81st and will drop out of the top-100 next week after dropping 150 points in the 2022 Delray Beach Finals.
Opelka hasn’t spoken much about his problems, undergoing hip surgery and staying away from the courts for six months
. The gigantic server will leave the top-100 after more than four yearsentering this select group for the second time in January 2019 and looking only forward.
Opelka won four ATP 250 titles at home in the United States between New York 2019 and Houston last April. Reilly was ranked 17th a year ago and will have to work hard to get back into the top 20 when he decides to return to competition.
The American started the previous season ranked 26th and reached the third round of the Australian Open. On his way home, Opelka has had a remarkable run in Dallas and Delray Beach.
Opelka will leave the top-100 for the first time since January 2019.
He won the title in Houston after narrow wins over John Isner and Jenson Brooksby in four tie breaks. Reilly had eight more tie breaks in Delray Beach and failed to go all the way after a 7-6, 7-6 final loss to Cameron Norrie.
Opelka gave their best against Rafael Nadal in Indian Wells, losing 7-6, 7-6 and retiring in the opener in Miami. He was a player to beat in Houston, knocking out Nick Kyrgios and John Isner to secure the second title of the season and fourth overall.
Opelka could have played better on clay in Europe, reaching the semi-final in Geneva and first game loser in all four other events, including Roland Garros. Things didn’t work out on the grass either, with a win at Wimbledon and three losses.
Plagued by physical difficulties, Reilly took a few weeks off and returned to play in Washington in August. The colossus prevailed against Denis Kudla in the first round, winning sets two and three and slamming 28 aces.
Opelka faced Nick Kyrgios in Game 2 and suffered a 7-6, 6-2 loss in 76 minutes. Kyrgios won the first set tie break 7-1 and broke Opelka twice in the second to win.
As we’ve said before, this was Reilly’s last game on the tour, as he skipped the rest of the season after hip surgery and missed all events until present in 2023. The American will try to recover for the first Masters 1000 of the season in Indian Wells and Miamialthough it is difficult to find “evidence” of its presence on the training courts.
