“If I were six inches shorter…”: Reilly Opelka questions the advantage of being a ‘serve-bot’

Reilly Opelka has never shied away from direct assessments of professional tennis, and his appearance on the Nothing Major Podcast followed the same line. Speaking with host John Isner, the American revisited a recurring topic in modern men’s tennis: the advantages and limitations faced by the tour’s tallest players, often labelled “bots” for their reliance on serve-dominated patterns.

At 6’11”, Opelka remains one of the biggest physical outliers on the ATP Tour, alongside former world No. 8 Isner and past top-10 players such as Kevin Anderson and Milos Raonic. While power serving has helped him reach ATP titles and deep runs at Masters events, Opelka argued that height alone does not translate to sustained dominance at the very top level.

From a statistical perspective, his point is difficult to dismiss. The average height of recent Grand Slam champions sits well below 6’3”, and the majority of year-end top-10 players are closer to six feet. Opelka acknowledged that reality directly, suggesting that raw physical advantage can become a structural limitation over time.

“You could easily argue that if I were six inches shorter, I’d probably be a better player. And I think John could say the same. Getting down to low balls would be easier.” Opelka said, reflecting on the cumulative demands of the tour. “The average height of the top 10 is nowhere near 6’11½”. It’s closer to six feet.”

Opelka stressed that serving efficiency alone does not guarantee success, pointing to Isner’s career as an example of adaptation rather than simplicity. He noted that winning as a big server requires constant problem-solving, especially against elite returners who neutralise first-serve dominance and extend baseline exchanges.

“There is an element of knowing how to win,” Opelka explained, referencing Isner’s ability to manage matches with limited exchanges while still applying pressure. “John was unbelievable at that. He could play matches where he would make four or five shots max and still beat a top-10 player.”

The American also highlighted how height affects basic movement patterns, particularly on low balls. While taller players gain reach and leverage, they sacrifice ease of movement in defensive positions, a factor that becomes more relevant against the tour’s strongest baseliners and counterpunchers. “But the biggest disadvantage is traveling,” Opelka added. “If you’re driving 25 minutes from the hotel to the courts, your back, your neck, everything tightens up. Then you have to arrive early just to undo the damage from the car ride.”

"And when you’re flying overseas in lay-flat seats — I recently discovered this trick. I lie the seat flat, but I sit all the way up at the headrest, press my back against it, and stretch my legs straight.

When discussion turned to matchups, Opelka was clear about which opponent caused the most consistent problems for big servers. Daniil Medvedev, a former world No. 1 and US Open champion, was described as the “ultimate antidote” due to his return positioning and ability to extend games.

“He would hold serve just as fast as me, John or Nick,” Opelka said. “But his return games would drag on forever. I’d feel like I was holding in ten minutes, while he’d hold in sixty seconds.”

Opelka also touched on aesthetics, noting that effectiveness does not always align with visual appeal. Medvedev’s strokes, he joked, are “hard to watch,” yet brutally efficient, particularly in neutralising players who rely heavily on serve-plus-one patterns.

That contrast fed into the podcast’s closing game, “Bot or Not,” where Opelka categorised players such as Raonic, Hurkacz, Anderson and Querrey firmly as bots, while excluding Medvedev. When asked to classify himself, Opelka did not hesitate.