Opelka smashes the 'Maldives' trend: 'Free vacations? No thanks!'
Sinner, Sabalenka, Zverev… The list is endless. Every end of the season, the archipelago almost becomes a tropical training camp.
But in this wave of relaxation, one player is the exception: Reilly Opelka, who categorically refuses to follow the trend.
“It’s strange”: the system that players know… but never comment on
Guest on the Nothing Major podcast, Opelka put words to what many think quietly. Because yes: these stays are not only sumptuous. They are offered, or almost.
Former player Sam Querrey explains it bluntly:
“Rooms are free for many. One hour of tennis per day, and it’s paid.”
A simple deal: the resorts finance the accommodation, the players offer a little time on the court. All in one of the most idyllic places on the planet.
But Querrey adds a point that many are unaware of:
the hierarchy continues even on vacation.
“The top ten go to the most expensive establishments. Those ranked 30 to 50 go to the Hilton or the Sheraton.”
Opelka, however, refuses: “I would pay $25,000 to stay at home”
But for Reilly Opelka, this perk is not a gift. On the contrary: he sees it as an absurdity of the tour.
“We travel 40 weeks a year. I spent less than eight weeks at home all season. And then they ask you to do a 14-hour flight… to go to a hotel with other players?
Even if they offered me 6 paid days for one hour of tennis per day? I would say no. I would pay $25,000 to stay at home.”
A categorical refusal, almost provocative, but deeply revealing: for some players, the ultimate luxury is no longer in a villa on stilts, but in the tranquility of returning home.
