What if you were the tallest athlete in your sport? Reilly Opelka doesn’t have to imagine; he lives it. At 211cm, he’s a giant on the ATP tour, and it comes with its own unique set of challenges. One of those challenges? Avoiding the spotlight, even when he wants to. In Miami, a former Australian legend and Serena Williams’ ex-coach couldn’t resist a lighthearted ribbing. But what was the joke?

Former WTA pro Rennae Stubbs took to her Instagram and shared a brief clip on Thursday. Stubbs captured him trying to adjust inside a golf cart. To Stubbs’ surprise, he managed to do it quite easily, despite his giant size! Eventually, she was compelled to say, “@reillyopelka just fits! #miaimiopen” Jokes aside, though, Opelka has previously admitted how people used to mock him for his unprecedented height.

“Yeah, the only fun side is hitting an ace on a big point. Yeah, it’s something I’ve learned to live with. I don’t really remember, because I got tall pretty early,” reported Tennis Prose in September 2021. “I was 15, 16, and maybe even 14, and I was already over 6 foot. It’s not like I know any other way. If I woke up like this, then I’d be a lot more, I’d have more negative comments to tell you about it.” He then went on to discuss the ‘stupid comments’ on social media about his height.

“You just get used to it. You get used to ducking and, you know, having your legs crammed in a car. Just, I don’t know, there are some things like that. And you get used to some comments like people make all the time or just some stupid little comments, that people ask me all the time how tall I am.” Per him, such instances used to happen “10 times a day”.

But they hardly matter when your entire focus remains your performance. Same is the case with Opelka too. And this season, he’s shining on the court, if not consistently. Currently, he’s competing at the Miami Open where he will try to improve his record.

Reilly Opelka looks to leave a lasting impression in 2025 Miami Open

Reilly Opelka started the season on a great note back in January. He managed to reach the title clash of Brisbane International. However, he had to withdraw from the crucial match against Jiri Lehecka, due to a back injury. In the same campaign, Opelka also stunned former World No.1 and 24-time Major king Novak Djokovic, in the QF stage, 7-6(6), 6-3.

Opelka couldn’t maintain a steady performance in the next event at the Australian Open. He failed to go past the second round after losing against Czechia’s Tomas Machac. He bounced back soon in Dallas a month later and managed to reach the QF round before compatriot Tommy Paul eliminated him, 7-6(6), 6-2. In his last two ATP appearances (Delray Beach Open and the Indian Wells), Opelka failed to impress. He was ousted in the fourth and first round, respectively. But it seems he’s ready to turn the tables on his side in Miami.

Playing the opening match on Thursday, he defeated the 6′ 7″ Christopher Eubanks. Clinching his first ATP Masters 1000 win, since 2022, Opelka snatched the victory, 6-3, 7-6(4). According to Infosys ATP Stats, the 6’11” Reilly Opelka was untouchable on his first serve in the second set, winning all 26 points. He fittingly closed out the 85-minute match with an ace on the deuce court.

In the R64, Reilly Opelka will now face Denmark’s Holger Rune on Saturday. Both players have never met previously at a professional event. It will be intriguing to see who ends up moving into the next stage. Opelka, whose best run in Miami came in 2019 when he reached R32, will look to improve the track record. What are your thoughts on his prospects this season? Let us know in the comments below.