Reilly Opelka joins exclusive list of players to have a 1-0 record against Novak Djokovic

In one of the early upsets of the 2025 season, American tennis player Reilly Opelka stormed past 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic during their quarterfinal encounter at the 2025 Brisbane International on Friday.

The bout saw the unseeded American score a 7-6(6) 6-3 victory over the top seed. Opelka was coming in off an injury-plagued 2024 season, but relied on his booming serve and heavy groundstrokes to frustrate and eventually boot the Serbian out of the competition.

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Opelka in rare company following victory over Djokovic

The former World No.17, who currently sits just inside the Top 300, recorded his first victory over Djokovic in their first-ever meeting. This gives Opelka a 1-0 lead over the former World No.1, and thus places him among a group of players who have a 1-0 record over the Serbian. Below are the eight men to achieve this feat.

• 🇮🇹 Filippo Volandri (Umag 2004)

• 🇳🇱 Dennis Van Scheppingen (Bangkok 2004)

• 🇫🇷 Antony Dupuis (Valencia 2005)

• 🇯🇵 Taro Daniel (Indian Wells 2018)

• 🇬🇧 Daniel Evans (Monte-Carlo 2021)

• 🇮🇹 Luca Nardi (Indian Wells 2024)

• 🇨🇱 Alejandro Tabilo (Rome 2024)

• 🇺🇸 Reilly Opelka (Brisbane 2025)

Opelka is the only active American player to hold a win over Djokovic, with the last US man being Sam Querrey at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships. Opelka next faces Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, in what will be a big-serving battle between two giants of the sport.

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