The new tennis season has just started, but it’s already serving up jaw-dropping surprises! Novak Djokovic, the Serbian maestro known for his near-invincible dominance, faced an unexpected challenge at the Brisbane International. In what’s being dubbed the biggest upset of the season so far, towering American Reilly Opelka delivered a performance, defeating Djokovic in a stunning takedown. But hold on—it’s not just the result that’s grabbing attention. What’s melting hearts worldwide is the mutual respect and admiration shared between these two stars in the aftermath of their showdown.

The American tennis sensation gave a major upset to Djokovic on Friday and baffled him in straight sets 7-6(6), 6-3. In the process, he fired 16 aces, as against eight from Nole. Notably, Opelka became the first and the only active player from America to have beaten the tennis legend since 2016. But besides the thrilling showdown witnessed in Brisbane, what is catching further attention is the humility depicted by the tennis stars. 

Taking to his Instagram story, Novak Djokovic gave a shoutout to Opelka on his victory. “Amazing tennis, Reilly. Absolutely deserved. Good luck 🍀,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion wrote. Opelka quickly reacted to this and admired Djokovic’s dominance despite defeating him. Sharing Djokovic’s post on his story, the American star wrote, “🤍🐐,” highlighting the towering stature of the Serb in the arena. This, interestingly, was not the only incident of respect that was witnessed after the match. 

Reilly Opelka did not fail to laud his opponent despite outshining him. Expressing immense regard for Djokovic, the American star said, “He is the greatest tennis player the sport has ever seen. It is difficult being in Novak’s position because he can scout me all day long but the reality is we have nothing to lose coming in against him, he is the greatest player ever.” Continuing further, he also highlighted how difficult it is to beat him unless a player puts in their best efforts.

“So you end up playing more free and take more risk. If you play your normal level or even a little above your normal level he will win,” Opelka added. This victory, meanwhile, is definitely special for Opelka given the challenges he faced. And now, he could not be more proud of himself. 

Reilly Opelka makes emotional confession as he shares the desires he had during hiatus

Reilly Opelka faced quite a challenging period in his career due to the several injuries he faced. Opelka opted for surgery in August 2022, after struggling for a long time with hip pain. It was later revealed that he had a benign tumor which was worsening causing the troubles to him. While he was prepared to make a comeback in 2023, another tussle began with his wrist. The American star was diagnosed with a subluxed tendon and opted for another surgery which caused further trouble to him. But as he returned to action last year and now pulled a sensational victory, he shared that it was one of his wishes during his prolonged hiatus.

Speaking after winning the match, Opelka said, “It has been tough. A lot of doubt. I watched Taylor (Fritz), Tommy (Paul), Frances (Tiafoe), Ben (Shelton) on TV do great and that was fun and motivating. It kept me motivated in the sport.” Continuing further, he shared that these matches and the growth of Novak Djokovic as a player in the past two years further encouraged him to return to action.

“I watched Novak become the greatest in my two-year period off. You ask yourself what would Novak be doing in my position. That is the impact he has had on the sport. I stayed the course when I was on crutches and just hoped I would have another chance out here like I had tonight,” Opelka shared. As he now gears up to play against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the semi-finals, it would be interesting to see if he can carry forward his momentum and win yet again remarkably.