What a comeback it has been for Reilly Opelka! After having gone through a series of injuries and undergoing surgeries on his hip and wrists, Opelka made a strong comeback in Newport. He became the lowest-ranked ATP semifinalist by defeating Mackenzie McDonald in the QF. However, the 26-year-old tennis star’s dream run came to an end at the hands of his compatriot, Alex Michelsen in the semis. Now, he’s all set to start his campaign at the 2024 Atlanta Open. Opelka will face Aleksandar Kovacevic in his first match in this tournament.

Can New York’s Kovacevic come up with a challenge against the Floridan? Well, Kova is a solid player on hard courts, and we have already witnessed his flare at the AO earlier this year. He reached the R2 of the AO for the very first time in his career. Apart from that, the 25-year-old American tennis player has also featured in two QFs this season. So, this is really going to be an exciting contest in Atlanta!

Reilly Opelka vs Aleksandar Kovacevic: Preview

Opelka hasn’t played much since his return and like we said earlier, this is just his second tournament in the 2024 season. However, within that brief time span, Reilly Opelka has shown us his capabilities. He fought three thrilling three-setters to make it into the semis in Newport. However, in the SF, he was thrashed by Michelsen by a 2-6,0-6 scoreline. Opelka hit 8 aces and committed 1 double fault in that match. He won just 50% of his first serve and 38% of his second serve. However, in the breakpoints, he was 0/3!

If we take a look at his numbers from the 2024 season, Reilly Opelka has hit 70 aces and committed only 16 double faults. He has won 80% of his service games and 13% of his return games.

Aleksandar Kovacevic on the other hand is also entering this match after facing defeat at the hands of the same opponent in the QF of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. Alex Michelsen defeated Kovacevic by 6-4,6-4 in the QF. However, Kova managed to fire 12 aces in that match and didn’t commit a single double fault. He won 67% of his first serve and 50% of his second serve. Aleksandar Kovacevic recorded 0/1 in the breakpoints against Michelsen.

He has hammered 191 aces this season, committing around 69 double faults. Kovacevic has won 82% of his service games and just 12% of his return games. Has Aleksandar Kovacevic met Reilly Opelka in his career before?

Opelka vs Kovacevic: Head-to-Head

Well, the answer is no! They haven’t played against each other before. Both of these American tennis stars have a lot to prove in front of their home crowd. Who will have the upper hand in this nail-biting contest? 

Prediction: Opelka to win this match in three sets

Reilly Opelka has played some exceptional tennis in his previous tournament. The Floridan will now be keen to repeat a similar long run in this tournament as well. He returned to the Tour after almost a gap of two years. You can get an idea of how hungry he’ll be to be back to where he once belonged. So far, he has managed a win-loss record of 3-2 this season, whereas his opponent, Aleksandar Kovacevic on the other hand, has recorded 7-15.

Even though Opelka hasn’t played much in the 2024 season, he has already given a glimpse of his potential in Newport. Kovacevic needs to covert the half chances and find his rhythm right from the word go to stand a chance against the former world number 17.

The 6ft 11 inches Reilly Opelka is the joint tallest player on the Tour. His incredible height helps him to generate a fair bit of power in his serve and it’s the same gigantic presence on the court which makes his opponents a bit shaky on the other end of the court. Apart from that, his powerful serves can really be a handy weapon against Kovacevic on the hard courts in Atlanta.

Opelka’s consistency and accuracy with his serve are his biggest asset. However, one must not forget his incredible volleys! Reilly Opelka usually moves pretty well on the court despite his tall stature, but in his previous matches, he seemed to be struggling a bit with his movements. This may well turn up as an advantage for Aleksandar Kovacevic. Time will tell if he can really capitalize on that, but one thing is for sure- he will be keen to use his venomous forehands against Opelka in this match. Is it enough, though, to disrupt all the equations? Perhaps not!