Opelka showered Djokovic with praise after eliminating him in Brisbane

Unbeatable start to the season for the American tennis player Reilly Opelka (293°), who this Friday took over the first hit of 2025 by beating the Serbian 7-6 (3) and 6-3 Novak Djokovic (7th) and reach the semifinals of the Brisbane ATP 250.

After beating the Argentine Federico Gómez (137th) and the Italian Matteo Arnaldi (37th) in straight sets, the former world number 17, he had the pleasure of release history against the legendary Balkan, who had easily dispatched the local Rinky Hijikata (73rd) and the Frenchman Gael Monfils (55th), in a dream way, confessing the difficulty of the duel immediately at the foot of the Pat Rafter Arena.

“He is the best player this sport has ever seen.. It’s difficult to be in your position. You can analyze me or other opponents all day long, but the reality is that we have nothing to lose against him“, began the owner of four titles, who considered retiring as a professional by undergoing three operations and leaving the circuit for practically 20 months.

Later, the right-handed giant, 27 years old and 211 centimeters tall, revealed the recipe for success: “You end up playing more freely, you take more risks because if you play at your normal level or perhaps higher he will always win. It’s not easy for him because he faces players who roll the dice. “It only works on a day like this, when a lot of things go in my favor.”

“It was very hard, there was a lot of uncertainty and many doubts. I watched a lot of my friends’ games on television. I watched Tommy (Paul), Taylor (Fritz), Frances (Tiafoe) and Ben (Shelton) do great things, which entertained and motivated me a lot. “It kept me interested in this sport,” the St. Joseph, Michigan native explained how he dealt with the time he didn’t compete in the Tour.

Finally, the eighth-finalist in the 2021 US Open, who will compete against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (31st) in the next instance, stated: “I also saw Novak become the best of all time in these two years. “I stayed mentally strong, even when I was in a cast and on crutches, just hoping to get another chance like this again.”