**Ben Shelton Praises Reilly Opelka’s Impressive Comeback After Cincinnati Open Win**
Ben Shelton, the rising star in the tennis world, has expressed his admiration for his close friend and fellow American, Reilly Opelka, following Opelka’s impressive comeback at the Cincinnati Open. Opelka, who had been sidelined for nearly two years due to injuries, has made a remarkable return to the ATP circuit, winning matches and competing at a high level.
In a recent interview, Shelton shared his surprise at Opelka’s success after such a long absence from the sport. “Yeah, I’m really surprised. I was just telling someone, if I was out for two years, you wouldn’t see me out here at ATP level winning matches the way he is. I might have to start at the challengers or the futures, but he’s come out right away and he’s winning matches every week,” Shelton remarked.
Shelton highlighted Opelka’s dedication and hard work during his recovery, noting that his swift return to form is a testament to Opelka’s resilience and skill. “I think that’s just a testament to how hard he’s worked to bring himself back and how many skills and tools that he has apart from that serve,” he added.
For Shelton, playing alongside Opelka again has been a special experience, as he had missed sharing the court with his friend during Opelka’s absence. “It’s fun sharing the court with him. He’s just such a great guy and a friend of mine who I haven’t been able to be at any tournaments with for the last two years. So to see him out here improving every single week,” Shelton said.
Looking ahead, Shelton is eager to see Opelka continue his comeback journey, especially with the upcoming Grand Slam events. “Obviously, this is his first Masters 1000 back, he’ll play his first slam back soon in two weeks. So, I’m just happy to see his face out here. Not happy to return his serve, but he’s definitely a great guy and a great competitor,” Shelton concluded.
Opelka’s return to the ATP tour has been met with widespread support from both fans and fellow players, with many, like Shelton, applauding his determination and success after such a challenging period.
Shelton in Cincinnati, ranking, and results in 2024
At the moment ranked no.14 (career-high), Ben has managed to achieve an overall 28-18 win-loss record in 2024. The American is currently playing in Cincinnati where he toppled the world no.322 Reilly Opelka 7-6(3) 7-6(3).
Ben Shelton will play the world no.37 Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the 2nd
round on Thursday at 2:30 pm on P&G GRANDSTAND. Their current head to head is 1-0 for Shelton.The American has won 1 title in 2024 in Houston.
Reilly Opelka in 2024
Now the world no.322, Reilly played his last match on the 13th of August when he lost to world no.14 Ben Shelton 7-6(3) 7-6(3) in the 1st round in Cincinnati (draw).
This season the American achieved a compiled 5-4 win-loss record. Reilly Opelka’s most significant result of this season was reaching the semifinal in Newport.
Reilly Opelka will come up against Sanjar Fayziev in the . They have never played each other until now in top events.
The American won 4 titles in his career: 1 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts and 2 on indoor courts. (See the list of his titles)
Opelka has scheduled to play next at the U.S. Open (U.S. Open). He will start from the main draw that will commence on the 26th of August.
Ben Shelton and Reilly Opelka squared off just once. Their record is 1-0 for Shelton. When they played, Ben Shelton won 7-6(3) 7-6(3) in the 1st round in Cincinnati (Western & Southern Open) on the 13th of August 2024.
In the video below you can watch the highlights.
Ben Shelton and Reilly Opelka |
| Embed from Getty Images |