FRISCO, Texas—The last time Reilly Opelka entered the Dallas Open, he emerged as the inaugural winner back in 2022 when the event debuted at Southern Methodist University.
Three years later, Opelka was triumphant in his return to a tour stop now boasting an upgraded ATP 500 status and new digs in Frisco. On Wednesday, the former world No. 17 defeated Alexander Shevchenko, 7-6 (2), 6-4, inside Ford Center at The Star.
“Brings back good memories and having another 500 on home turf is great,” he told TENNIS.com. “It’s a two-hour flight for me. You can’t underestimate how valuable that is.
“You really don’t get many opportunities to get your ranking back up. It was very nice of the tournament to give me a wild card and the opportunity to try and get back in the Top 100.”