Reilly Opelka denied Novak Djokovic his 100th ATP Tour title by eliminating the Serbian tennis star in the quarterfinals of the “Brisbane International.” The 27-year-old American, ranked No. 293 in the world, defeated “Nole” 7-6(6), 6-3 in 1 hour and 40 minutes. Opelka, who has previously reached No. 17 in the global rankings, experienced the greatest moment of his career, as this victory over tennis legend Novak Djokovic is the most significant win of his life.
Reilly Opelka will face Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard in the semifinals. The 21-year-old Frenchman achieved his third consecutive win in Queensland, defeating Jakub Mensik after previously eliminating Kyrgios and Tiafoe. Mpetshi-Perricard delivered another 19 aces, bringing his total to 75 in just three matches in 2025, winning 7-5, 7-6(5) against the rising Czech star in the third quarterfinal of the tournament. Thanks to his advancement to the semifinals, Mpetshi-Perricard secured a new career-high ranking at No. 30 in the ATP Rankings.
Novak Djokovic suffered his first defeat by an American player since Wimbledon 2016 when he lost to Sam Querrey. Since then, Djokovic had maintained a winning streak of 34-0 against American opponents until today (3/1).
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