Ben Shelton has high praise for Reilly Opelka following hiatus - "You wouldn't see me out here winning matches"

American tennis pro Reilly Opelka made his comeback to the ATP Tour after spending months on the sideline due to injury, and World No.14 Ben Shelton lauded his compatriot's form upon return.

Shelton squared off against Opelka in the first round of the Cincinnati Open, prevailing 7-6(3) 7-6(3) in a hard-hitting encounter. Shelton was pushed to the limit by his towering opponent, but his consistency saw him emerge victorious.

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Opelka in great form despite long hiatus

The former World No.17 had been sidelined since mid-2022, and returned to play at an ATP Challenger event in October 2023 before succumbing to more injuries. During the break, he underwent numerous surgeries on his wrist and hip.

Opelka returned to the ATP Tour after receiving a wildcard entry to the Hall of Fame Open. Currently ranked outside the top 300, Opelka put on an impressive performance, powering past his opponents before falling in the semifinals. This led to him receiving wildcard entries to the DC Open and Cincinnati, where he fell to Shelton in the opening round.

"Yeah, I’m really surprised," said Shelton after his match with Opelka. "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.
"So, 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."