Reilly Opelka’s match against Cameron Norrie at the Dallas Open turned contentious when a disruptive heckler and an ensuing umpire decision stole the spotlight. The American wildcard, serving at 5-4 and 30-30 in the final game, was disturbed by a spectator’s persistent heckling. Frustrated, Opelka confronted the heckler, exclaiming, “You doing it on f***ing purpose or what?” before ordering the individual to leave.
Chair umpire Greg Allensworth immediately intervened, issuing Opelka a code violation for audible obscenity that resulted in a point penalty. The decision, intended to enforce decorum, instead provided Norrie with a break point at a critical juncture in the match.
Despite the setback, Opelka managed to save the break point and eventually rallied to secure a hard-fought 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory. Following the match, the American did not extend his handshake to Allensworth, vocally condemning the umpire’s handling of the situation.
Opelka argued that the umpire failed to address the disruptive behavior of the heckler while penalizing him for reacting to the disturbance. “He didn’t do a good job, so I had to tell him to get out of here,” Opelka stated. He added that the umpire’s actions nearly shifted the outcome of the match, emphasizing the financial and competitive stakes at the ATP 500 level.
With the supervisor’s review upholding the decision, Opelka’s outburst has sparked discussions about umpiring standards at high-stakes tournaments. The incident leaves lingering questions about consistency and common sense in officiating, as Opelka now prepares to face No. 3 seed Tommy Paul in an all-American quarterfinal clash.
Opelka in Dallas, ranking, and results in 2025
LWWLWLLWLW Now the world no.145, the American owns a 7-2 record in 2025. The American is playing at the moment in Dallas where he beat the world no.82 Alexander Shevchenko 7-6(3) 6-4 and the world no.63 Cameron Norrie 4-6 7-6(5) 6-4.
Reilly Opelka will compete against the world no.9 Tommy Paul in the quarter on Friday at 7:00 pm on CENTER COURT. Their actual head to head record is 1-0 for Opelka.
Reilly was the runner-up in Brisbane (Brisbane International).
Opelka 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)
Reilly Opelka |
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