Reilly Opelka will not be playing in Delray Beach Open: 'He's not quite ready at this time'
Tennis’ tallest player has disappeared.
It would’ve been a compelling story if Reilly Opelka, the 6-foot-11 service machine from Palm Beach County, would’ve made his return from a hip injury at next week’s Delray Beach Open.
But that won’t be the case, according to a tennis source. “He’s not quite ready at this time,’’ the source told The Palm Beach Post.
Opelka, who hasn’t played since before the US Open last summer, still is officially listed on the entrants' list for next week’s popular men’s event. But the 25-year-old will be a bystander for his hometown tournament that he won in 2020 and was a finalist last year.
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Opelka’s rehab still isn’t compete and he withdrew from this week’s ATP event in Dallas. He is still ranked 45th – one of 10 American men ranked in the top 50, which hasn’t been done since 1995.
When Opelka’s injury surfaced in August, it was announced as a hip issue. According to another tennis source, Opelka actually had hip surgery at the time. Tennis insiders suggest because of his height, rehab takes longer than for an average-sized player. (Opelka has turned down various interview requests).
One player who is committed to the Delray tournament is Taylor Fritz, the No. 1 American who is ranked 8th in the world. Fritz is one of Opelka's closest friends, having shared a dorm room with him when they were juniors at the USTA training center near Orlando.
"It's awful,'' Fritz said. "He started last year really strong. He was playing really good tennis. It sucks. It could happen to any of us at any time. You never know when you can be out for 8 months. It's really sad to see. He's one of my best friends.''
Fritz said he's unsure if Opelka will be on site next week but plans to get together with him. "I look forward to seeing him,'' Fritz said. "Haven't gotten to spend a ton of time with him because he hasn't been at tournaments.''
Opelka lives in Delray Beach and rooms with DBO entrant Tommy Paul, who made waves at the Aussie Open with his career-best trip to the semifinals where he lost to eventual champions Novak Djokovic.
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Paul, Fritz, former University of Florida standout Ben Shelton and Denis Shapovalov are the tournament’s headliners when it makes its 25th annual run from Feb. 12-19.
Paul referenced Opelka during his Aussie run as coaching him from afar.
“Reilly actually has been giving me all of my scouting reports,’’ Paul said in Australia. “He's basically been my coach this week.’’
Sources say Reilly has been doing oncourt training since the new year but plans to miss the first North American hard court event of the outdoor season.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Reilly Opelka to miss Delray Beach Open but Tommy Paul, Taylor Fritz in
