Reilly
Opelka once again criticizes doubles tennis, claiming it doesn't generate
revenue.
American
tennis player
Reilly Opelka is currently off the tour as he still needs at
least two months to resume training after suffering a wrist injury. His last
appearance on the tour was at the 2022 Washington Open, where he was eliminated
in the round of 16 by
Nick Kyrgios.
During the
nine months he has been out of competition, Opelka has made multiple
appearances in interviews expressing his opposition to the doubles circuit, as
well as using his social media platforms to call for an end to doubles
tournaments. This time, he spoke on the Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast, where he
argued that doubles does not generate the money it costs to maintain it.
"I'm
just speaking what I feel is the truth," former world No.17 said.
"It's
really hard to argue with facts and math. If they can present a point to me at
the ATP 250 and 500 level that shows that they bring in the money that costs to
have them there, let alone prize money, then perfect. But the numbers
point to me." Opelka added.
The
American stated that his intention is not to harm the careers of the players
who participate in doubles, and that eliminating that circuit could be a way to
distribute income more effectively and help players outside the top 100.
"It's
just the truth, it's a harsh reality. I'm not doing it to take food off
someone's plate by any means."
"If we
look at the economics of the sport, which is a big concern, you can't have it
all. People are like, 'Oh, we need to help guys outside the Top-150, 100.' I
agree. But how do you do that? There's one way to look at it right there,"
concluded Opelka.