‘Worst Ref in the ATP’- Reilly Opelka Brutally Slams Chair Umpire After Controversy Erupts at the ATP Dallas

Have you ever noticed that some of the savage battles on a tennis court don’t happen between the players? Instead, they unfold between professionals and chair umpires! Sounds familiar? It should! Whether you’re Federer, Djokovic, Nadal, or Williams, heated arguments with officials are as common as a blistering forehand on a 27-foot court. Yet, while they add drama, they often leave a bitter aftertaste. And, in a recent turn of events, American ace Reilly Opelka found himself in one such in-court battle, one he’d likely prefer to erase from memory before stepping onto the court for his Dallas Open QF.

Opelka recently squared off against British professional Cameron Norrie in the Dallas Open R16, looking to bounce back from a poor AO run. Standing at a steep 6 feet 11 inches, Opelka struggled early, dropping the first set 6-4 to the Brit. However, he roared back in the second, edging out a tense tie-break 7-6 (7-5) to level the match. However, the real drama, though, unfolded in the deciding third set.

Serving for the match at 5-4 in the third, Reilly Opelka’s concentration was broken by a heckler in the stands. The towering 6’11” American repeatedly told the heckler to leave, using expletives each time. This outburst resulted in chair umpire Greg Allensworth issuing Opelka a code violation and a point penalty.

However, Opelka immediately challenged the decision, demanding an explanation from the chair umpire, and even brought the tournament supervisor into the mix. But the decision remained. Instead of being at 30-all, the 27-year-old suddenly faced a break point at 30-40. However, Opelka dug deep, saving not one, not two, but three break points before finally holding serve and securing a hard-fought 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 victory. 

Right after the match, Opelka discussed the matter with the tennis journalist from ‘The Grandstand’, Cheryl Murray. “Greg Allensworth was the worst ref in the ATP. Like we were talking about it in the locker room. Players literally are coincidence, but two days ago definitely like the worst pump on the tour. And I was like oh no doubt, he’s real bad. He almost changed the outcome of that match because you know he doesn’t know what he doing and he got emotional like when we were arguing. He got very intense and frantic, like couldn’t give me an answer like you didn’t tell that guy to shut up,” he began.

Opelka further added, “It was doing it for three points. He didn’t do his job so I had to get out of here guys being pretty quite rude. I am all for whatever, but if you want to come here and be an A—— then I am gonna be one back. It shouldn’t have been one-sided traffic, but if you wanna be disrespectful to me, I can just be a punching bag and then the ref isn’t doing his job and then he penalises me. Not a good look. He almost changed the outcome of the match big point…Hope the ATP penalises him”

The 145-seed American had a rough start to the year’s first GS, falling in a grueling five-set battle to Tomas Machac in the AO’s second round. However, he made his intentions crystal clear: he’s on a mission to break back into the top 100(currently sitting at 145) in the ATP ranks.

Carrying no regrets from his Melbourne campaign, Opelka kicked off his DO campaign in dominant fashion, dismantling Alexander Shevchenko in straight sets, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4. And, with his second-round victory over the Brit, Opelka has now booked a high-stakes QF clash against fellow American Tommy Paul, the defending champion of the tournament. But while the spotlight is on Opelka’s resurgence, chair umpire Greg Allensworth has been at the center of controversies forever. 

Controversies in Washington, D.C., and at the Cincinnati Open

Chair umpire Greg Allensworth’s history of contentious calls on the North American hard courts has made him a polarizing figure among players and fans alike. One of the most notable incidents came during last year’s ‘Mubadala Citi DC Open’ when Denis Shapovalov clapped back at a spectator in a situation eerily similar to today’s case. In that situation, Shapovalov’s QF opponent, Ben Shelton, even stood by him, but despite the support, the Canadian still defaulted during the second-set tie-break.

Allensworth was also involved in back-to-back controversies at the Cincinnati Open last year. First, he paused a rally between American ace Taylor Fritz and Brandon Nakashima due to what he deemed an “electronic-line-calling malfunction”. Then, in another high-stakes moment, he missed a crucial ‘double bounce’ on Jack Draper’s match-point serve against Felix Auger-Aliassime. Replays clearly showed that the ball had bounced twice, but the call was never overturned.

This led to an intense on-court exchange, during which the Canadian Auger-Aliassime did not hesitate to voice his frustration in the conversation. “You’re going to get out now, and then (this clip) is going to be everywhere. It’s going to look ridiculous. It’s going to be crazy,” he added. 

Opelka, who is set to rise to No 125 in the ATP Rankings after his recent win over Norrie, will be hoping to continue his form against his fellow countrymen in tomorrow’s QF clash. Stay tuned with us, as we will bring the best from the Dallas Open for you right here!