After being inactive on the Tour, Reilly Opelka made his comeback in the Hall of Fame Open 2024, Newport, playing an ATP-level match after almost two years. Pleasantly surprising the tennis world, Opelka managed to clinch a win. Understandably so, fans of the star were excited. Among many others, Tommy Paul also expressed his exhilaration on social media.
Opelka looked much like his vintage self on his return to the ATP Tour. The 26-year-old lodged an incredible 16 aces as he would go on to emerge victorious in 3 sets – 6-1, 2-6, 7-6.
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Tommy Paul was among the many fans to be delighted for his good friend. In an ATP Tour’s Instagram post, Paul congratulated his friend by commenting, “BOTTTTTT” – a reference to Opelka’s nickname ‘Servebot’.
With Opelka clinching the victory, he proceeds to the Round of the 16. While the second match since his return could be a slightly tough draw – #1 Adrian Mannarino, Opelka could only focus on the positive takeaways from the contest against Constant Lestienne.
“From where I was a couple months ago, this is a great step for me. I wasn’t sure if I’d be playing this year or not. But I feel really good for now about my body, knock on wood. It seems to change every week, but it’s definitely heading in the right direction.”
“But Adrian is tough, defending champion, really good on grass, tricky opponent. I haven’t seen a guy like him at his level in a while. I haven’t played a lefty in a long time, so it’ll be fun. It’ll be interesting. A great test for me and a good opportunity to get another look at a top guy,” Opelka said, per ATP Tour.
Why is Reilly Opelka called the “Servebot”?
Standing at 6 feet 11 inches, Reilly Opelka has used his height to great advantage and is known for having one of the deadliest serves on tour. Due to a high service percentage and aces, Opelka earned the nickname “Servebot”.
While it has historically been used as a way to disrespect players by describing their style as unappealing, Opelka has embraced the name. He’s also called “The Bot” on the famous UTS Tour.
As of now, Opelka has a 3-0 head-to-head record against Adrian Mannarino. It’ll be interesting to see if the Servebot can keep this win streak alive when the two face off on July 16th.
