From a tumor to a bad surgeon, the abyss overcome by Reilly Opelka

Fernando Murciego | 18 Jul 2024 | 11.29

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What happened to Reilly Opelka? This question crossed our minds many times until the present week, where the American finally returned to the circuit to demonstrate in the ATP 250 in Newport that he still knows how to play this game. What we were missing was the journey taken to get here, the hell that the American endured to leave behind several experiences that almost ended his career. In an exclusive interview with The Palm Beach Post, the former world No. 17 revealed the difficulties he had to overcome to keep his childhood dream alive.

For those who have not closely followed this story, here is a brief summary. Opelka played his last tournament in Washington in August 2022, where his hip problem had become unbearable. A benign tumor had developed there, slipping into the joint, which led him to surgery at the beginning of the US Open. Once this problem was solved, a new issue arose at his door six months later: the tendon in his right wrist. While the first surgery went well, this one could not have gone worse. He tried to come back in October 2023, at a Challenger, but barely lasted one match. Nearly two years later, fully recovered and having overcome the specter of retirement, Reilly now has the opportunity to use his protected ranking in 12 tournaments. The first has been Newport, where he has already reached the quarterfinals.

At 26 years old and currently outside the top 1000, Opelka has lost two years of his career but still holds onto the hopes of day one. Understandable, considering that the tallest man ever recorded in the ATP rankings has a devastating serve capable of toppling any player in the world, especially on fast courts. After defeating Mannarino this Wednesday, who was the top seed in Newport, the Michigan native reveals the darkest passages of his recent times, necessary to understand the weight he carries in his shoes.

Retirement, an option that was there

“Just being out there, that's the best part. There was a moment when I wasn't sure if that would happen again. Of course, I thought about retiring, I was ready to let it go, I've always been very aware of everything that happened to me. I think I'm good at bringing out the best in me in certain situations, but in this case, I was totally ready to end it.”

His hip injury

“The tumor shifted and got stuck in my joint, I literally couldn't move my leg. We delayed surgery for a while, and a couple of pieces ended up breaking, so I literally couldn't walk when I got up. Then they injected a liquid and I could walk again, but the pieces had broken and there were fragments in my hip joint. It could have caused more damage later on, luckily I saw an incredible surgeon, I can't believe how good he was.”

His wrist injury

“In this case, I saw a bad surgeon, he messed up right away, and the area got infected, I had unbearable pain. I couldn't sleep at night, I had pain in my arm and hand, I needed a second surgery, and that caused problems later with the cast on my arm, it gave me nerve problems.”

Short-term Goal

“There is a lot of life beyond tennis, so I clung to this approach at all times. No one wants to be injured for so long, but I was better equipped to handle it than most. We all know what I'm capable of when I feel healthy, so my goal is to stay healthy. I'm trying to face a full schedule, increase my endurance, both in my arm and in intensity throughout a match. I want to complete a full season, like a couple of years ago. That's the main goal right now.”

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Desde un tumor a un mal cirujano, el abismo superado por Reilly Opelka