Reilly Opelka has never shied away from speaking his mind, even if it sometimes comes across as arrogant. A common theme has been his discontent towards doubles tennis. A year ago, Opelka, in his Instagram story, said: “Get rid of doubles,” when a fan asked what he would change about the ATP. The American also once mentioned on X (formerly Twitter) that doubles players are the most overpaid athletes in the world. Now, he is back to being disrespectful towards the discipline.
Opelka Belittles Doubles Players
The US Open decided to change the complete format and schedule of the mixed doubles this year and doubles specialists didn’t take this news well. Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori made a joint post on Instagram, calling it a “pseudo-exhibition”. Opelka replied under the post: “Wait…mixed dubs wasn’t always an exhibition?”
Opelka continued his belittling towards doubles players as he replied under an Instagram reel, where he said:
“They should 100% get rid of dubs. It’s for failed singles players, there’s no such thing as a ‘doubles specialist’… they don’t sell a single ticket, they take up practice courts/physios/resources, they don’t turn a profit and they complain that they don’t make enough $$. That’s pretty greedy behavior if you ask me.”
This is an extremely bold take from someone who isn’t popular themselves, and barely anyone buys tickets to see him play, especially outside America. I have never heard someone say, “I can’t wait to see Reilly Opelka play.”
Looking at the doubles landscape
Many of those same singles players (some of Opelka’s colleagues) are also happy to take up places in doubles draws (denying entry to many specialists), only to lose, not put full effort in, or withdraw. Sometimes, they sign up with a proper doubles player and then leave them by dropping out of doubles if they advance in singles. Is that not greedy behaviour?
I am not taking a dig at all singles players who play doubles, as a lot of them do it regularly, take it seriously and are pretty good at both disciplines. (You also don’t hear those players talking down about doubles). In fact, many of them credit it with helping them in singles, too. For example, Jasmine Paolini credited starting to play doubles with Sara Errani as one of the reasons she improved so much as a single player. Ben Shelton and Jordan Thompson have also mentioned the advantages of playing doubles.
There’s no disputing that doubles tennis does not generate enough interest, and it’s one thing to dislike doubles, but being so openly insulting to your colleagues and fans of the sport for which you play professionally is just ugly behaviour.
Opelka modified his Instagram bio last night, adding “#watchmoredoubles” in an apparent indirect response to Alexandre Muller, who put the same phrase on camera after winning his quarterfinal match against Francisco Cerundolo at the Rio Open. It was a very nice gesture from the Frenchman for his tour colleagues, but Opelka found a way to troll that too.
Rohan Bopanna’s brilliant Reply to Opelka
Two-time Grand Slam winner and former doubles No. 1 Rohan Bopanna came through to defend the doubles discipline. He made an impactful post on X:
“Playing doubles and earning an income from it has given me the power to give back in ways that truly matter. It has helped underprivileged children discover the sport, provided education for over 30 girls, and built an academy that nurtures future champions. What matters is that it’s changing lives.”
He continued, “Yet, there are those in their positions of privilege who sit back and debate who deserves more or less. They fail to grasp the bigger picture-the true impact of this sport.”
Honestly, it’s not about money or how a player spends it. The point is that doubles allow a much broader range of athletes to make a living from tennis for longer.
Many singles players at Challengers and ITFs lose early and then find a doubles partner to break even in the tournament. It is a sad truth that an absolute tennis legend has to plead his case for doubles. Maybe this message from a doubles legend will make Opelka reconsider his stance.
Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran – USA TODAY Sports
