Former world number one Novak Djokovic was knocked out of the Brisbane International by towering American Reilly Opelka on Friday, jeopardising his Australian Open preparations. The 2.11 meter (six feet 11 inches) Opelka served well and returned equally well to defeat the 24-time Grand Slam winner 7-6 (8/6), 6-3. Djokovic had competed confident that at 37, he still could challenge the younger guys.
But Opelka, a former world number 17 who was sidelined for over two years from 2022-24 due to hip and wrist surgery, dominated the Serb and cruised to a comfortable victory in an hour and 40 minutes. Opelka returned to the sport in July of last year and demonstrated that his serve had not lost its effectiveness during his absence. He served 16 aces and had only one break point throughout the match.
Opelka will now face another formidable server in the semi-finals: rising French star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Perricard defeated Czech player Jakub Mensik 7-5, 7-6 (7/5). Djokovic may find it difficult to accept the setback after acknowledging that his “confidence” was strong in his return game leading up to this quarterfinal. This defeat may temper expectations for the Serbian coming into the event, with Djokovic seeded seventh in Melbourne.
Novak Djokovic’s Slump
He will try to regain Grand Slam-winning form after failing to win a major in 2024, his first season since 2017. Opelka said of Djokovic, “He’s the greatest player ever. The reality is we have nothing to lose coming in against him. You end up playing more freely and you take a lot more risks because it’s your only chance of beating him. It’s tough for him because you get guys like me who are going to roll the dice, and on a day like this things go my way, and that’s how it worked out.”
In the women’s semi-finals, world number one Aryna Sabalenka overpowered Marie Bouzkova in straight sets. Sabalenka, who has won the last two titles at the Grand Slam in Melbourne, beat the Czech player 6-3, 6-4 in a tough match lasting 1hr 45mins.
