Career Timeline of Reilly Opelka: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Reilly Opelka, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Reilly Opelka is an American professional tennis player known for his towering height of 6 feet 11 inches, making him one of the tallest ATP-ranked players. This stature allows him to deliver serves exceeding 140 mph. He achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 17 in February 2022 and a doubles ranking of No. 89 in August 2021. Opelka has secured four ATP singles titles and one doubles title. A notable early achievement was winning the junior Wimbledon championship in 2015.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2015: Junior Wimbledon Tournament Win and Doubles Final

In 2015, Opelka won the Junior Wimbledon tournament, defeating Taylor Fritz en route to beating Mikael Ymer in the final. He also reached the finals of the Boys' Doubles event with Akira Santillan at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships.

2015: Won Junior Wimbledon Championship

In 2015, Reilly Opelka won the junior Wimbledon championship.

2016: ATP Debut and Semifinal Appearance at Atlanta Open

In 2016, Opelka made his ATP debut at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships. He later reached the semifinals at the Atlanta Open, securing his first three career ATP match wins. Opelka also won his first ATP Challenger title in Charlottesville to finish the year.

2017: Australian Open Qualification and Memphis Open Win

In 2017, Opelka qualified for the Australian Open, reaching the first round. At the Memphis Open, he recorded an ATP Tour level win over Jared Donaldson.

2018: Breakthrough Year with Three ATP Challenger Titles

2018 was a breakthrough year for Reilly Opelka as he secured three ATP Challenger titles, becoming the first American to achieve this since Bradley Klahn in 2014. His victories included the Bordeaux Challenger in May, followed by consecutive wins at the Knoxville Challenger and the JSM Challenger in November. Opelka also finished as a runner-up at Cary Challenger and Oracle Challenger.

August 2, 2021: Reached Career-High Doubles Ranking

On August 2, 2021, Reilly Opelka achieved a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 89.

August 16, 2021: Top 25 ATP Singles Ranking

On August 16, 2021, Reilly Opelka entered the top 25 in the ATP singles rankings for the first time, achieving world No. 23 after a successful run at the Canada Masters.

September 13, 2021: Top 20 ATP Singles Ranking

On September 13, 2021, Reilly Opelka cracked the top 20 in the ATP singles rankings for the first time, achieving world No. 19 after reaching the fourth round of the US Open.

February 21, 2022: New Career-High Ranking

On February 21, 2022, Reilly Opelka reached a new career-high ranking of world No. 18 after reaching his second final in as many weeks at the Delray Beach Open.

February 28, 2022: Reached Career-High Singles Ranking

On February 28, 2022, Reilly Opelka reached his highest ATP singles ranking of world No. 17.

2022: Dallas Open Title and Other Tournaments

In 2022, Opelka won the Dallas Open and reached the fourth round at the Indian Wells Open, where he lost to Rafael Nadal. He also won the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, defeating John Isner. He had first round losses at the Madrid Open, Italian Open, and French Open.

2022: Final Since Houston

Since Houston in 2022, Opelka reached his first final. This occured at the Brisbane International.

October 2023: Return to ATP Challenger Tour After Hiatus

In October 2023, Opelka returned to the ATP Challenger Tour at the Charlottesville Men's Pro Challenger after being out for a year and a half due to a wrist injury. He defeated Tennys Sandgren in the first round but retired in the second round.

July 2024: ATP Tour Comeback and Hall of Fame Open Performance

In mid-July 2024, Opelka returned to the ATP Tour with a wildcard entry into the Hall of Fame Open, securing his first victory at that level for two years by defeating Constant Lestienne. He continued his comeback with a victory over Adrian Mannarino and reached the semi-finals, moving more than 750 positions up in the rankings by July 22, 2024.

2025: Brisbane International Final and Retirement

In 2025, Opelka reached the final of the Brisbane International, defeating Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. This marked his 100th career win and a return to the top 200 rankings. However, he was forced to retire in the final against Jiří Lehečka due to back issues.