Reilly Opelka Stuns Novak Djokovic at Brisbane International; Advances to Semifinals

Brisbane, Jan 3 (NationPress) American tennis player Reilly Opelka celebrated one of the biggest wins of his career on Friday at the Brisbane International by stunning top seed Novak Djokovic, who was pursuing his 100th tour-level title. With this remarkable win, Opelka secured a spot in the semifinals, keeping his title dreams intact.

The American delivered a near-flawless performance, overpowering the Serbian 25-time Grand Slam champion in front of a packed audience at the Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane. Opelka unleashed his forehand to target Djokovic's backhand and served with unwavering power and precision, claiming a 7-6(6), 6-3 victory in their first ATP head-to-head encounter.

With this triumph, Opelka became the first American to defeat Djokovic since Sam Querrey at Wimbledon in 2016, as reported by the ATP Tour website.

"I concentrated on hitting my spots," Opelka remarked regarding the pressure of serving against Djokovic. "If I hit my spots, it's challenging to return, but if anyone can do it, it's him. I was prepared for that possibility if it arose."

"He is the greatest tennis player the sport has ever seen. Being in Novak's position is tough because he can analyze my game extensively, but the reality is that we have nothing to lose when facing him. He is the greatest player of all time. This allows for more freedom and risk-taking in my game. If I play at my usual level or slightly above, he tends to win," he was quoted on the official website.

With his one-hour and 40-minute victory, the 27-year-old Opelka advanced to his first tour-level semifinal since 2023 (Newport). Entering the week ranked No. 293 in the ATP Rankings after struggling with injuries for two years, the 27-year-old is now the lowest-ranked semifinalist in tournament history. Following this win, Opelka has risen to No. 207 in the ATP Live Rankings.

"It has been challenging," Opelka shared about his injury struggles. "There was a lot of doubt. I watched Taylor, Tommy, Frances, and Ben excel on TV, which was both fun and motivating. It kept my spirits up in the sport. I observed Djokovic rise to greatness during my two-year hiatus. You find yourself asking what Novak would do in my situation. That’s the influence he has on the game. I remained focused while on crutches and hoped for another chance like the one I experienced tonight."

The 27-year-old, with an 8-12 record against Top 10 players, will continue his quest for a fifth tour-level title against fellow powerful server Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Saturday.

Djokovic, who had previously defeated Rinky Hijikata and Gael Monfils this week, was aiming to become only the third man to achieve 100 tour-level titles after Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103). The No. 7 player in the ATP Rankings will next travel to Melbourne, where he will pursue a record-extending 11th Australian Open crown and his 25th major title. Coach Andy Murray is set to accompany Djokovic at the hard-court Grand Slam.

In a fiercely competitive first set, Opelka unleashed 21 winners while minimizing Djokovic's return opportunities. The American made 83 percent of his first serves and did not face a single break point. He capitalized on a slow 166 KMH first serve from Djokovic at 6/6 in the tie-break to secure a mini-break, then fired his 12th ace of the set, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to take the lead.

Opelka then broke Djokovic's serve with a forehand winner in the fourth game of the second set and maintained his composure on his own serve, powering to victory. After the match, Opelka embraced Djokovic at the net before acknowledging the crowd.

Statistically considered the best returner in tennis history, Djokovic struggled to handle Opelka's serve. The American consistently hit his spots throughout the match, finishing with 16 aces and winning 87 percent (13/15) of his second-serve points.