Andy Roddick didn’t bash Reilly Opelka over his comments about doubles but simply noted that the big-serving American is like that and never shies away from expressing his true feelings or thoughts.
Last week, the 27-year-old made some very harsh comments about doubles, calling players focused on that competition “failed singles players” and also calling for the doubles to be ditched.
“They should 100% get rid of dubs,” Opelka said on Instagram last week.
“It’s for failed singles players, there’s no such thing as a ‘doubles specialist’.. they don’t sell a single ticket, they take up practice courts/physios/resources they don’t turn a profit and they complain that they don’t make enough $$.
“That’s pretty greedy behavior if you ask me.”
Not only it didn’t sit well with some fans, but it also drew ire from some doubles players – most notably Rohan Bopanna – who issued a lengthy message in which he tried to explain why Opelka’s remarks were disrespectful on so many levels.
Thank you 🙏… pic.twitter.com/bHa03sFGF0
— Rohan Bopanna (@rohanbopanna) February 21, 2025
Roddick on Opelka: I like his character but I disagree with some of the stuff he says
“Listen, Reilly, love him or hate him, you rarely have to wonder what he’s thinking and he’s certainly not scared to tell you what he’s thinking,” the former world No. 1 said on the Served with Andy Roddick.
“So, regardless of if you agree with the opinion, I kind of like characters like Reilly, who will just say what they’re thinking.
“But I disagree with him on some of the stuff he says but you don’t wonder what he’s thinking.”
While Opelka hasn’t played any doubles tournaments in nearly three years, he used to play some doubles in the past.
In the summer of 2021, he even won a doubles title with Jannik Sinner in Atlanta.
Tennis World USA