Opelka makes winning return to Newport: "It's great to be back".
We'd kind of forgotten about him. Reily Opelka, ranked 17th in the world in 2022, has just returned to competition, two years after his last match on the main circuit.
Having undergone hip and wrist surgery, the American giant has made a brilliant comeback. Playing on the Newport grass court, he needed 3 sets, but finally prevailed over France's Constant Lestienne (6-1, 2-6, 7-6).
Interviewed on court, Opelka made no secret of his delight, although he did admit to feeling less comfortable than usual on serve, his main weapon: "It was great fun. It took me a while to get my head around certain things. What was strange was that my return was in place from the start, whereas my service was not.
Then the return disappeared, the service came back and I finished where I left off. It's nice to be back. It feels like it's been over two years (23 months to be exact).
So yes, it was good to get back to my level. I'm still getting my bearings and trying to figure everything out. But yes, it's great to be back."
That said, the American nonetheless slammed 16 aces and won 90% of his points on his first ball. In the next round, he faces defending champion and top seed Adrian Mannarino.
