Reilly Opelka calls ATP’s net zero emissions targets "good PR play"
American tennis player Reilly Opelka has questioned the ATP’s (Association of Tennis Professionals) ambitious sustainability targets for men’s professional tennis, calling them ‘good PR play’.
The ATP announced this month that it has become a signatory of UN Sports for Climate Action (UNSCA), setting a goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2040.
The organization also launched a new initiative, the ATP Carbon Tracker, that allows players to track and offset their carbon emissions while traveling for tournaments.
Some players, such as Dominic Thiem, and Cameron Norrie have pledged to help and mitigate 100 percent of their tournament travel emissions in 2023.
However, Opelka was not impressed by the ATP’s initiative. He shared the ATP’s Instagram post about its net zero plan on his own story on Saturday, June 24, and captioned it:
“Good PR play tho.”
The American also took a dig at the ATP’s schedule, which involves frequent intercontinental flights for players.
“ATP schedule: Australia, USA, Europe, USA, UK, USA, Asia, Europe,” Opelka wrote on Instagram.
Opelka’s skepticism reflects the challenges that tennis faces in reducing its carbon footprint. According to the ATP, most of its carbon footprint comes from traveling. However, there are also other factors such as energy, food, and waste at tournaments that contribute to the sport’s environmental impact.
"That absolutely doesn't exist in other sports": Reilly Opelka calls for more transparency on the professional tour
Reilly Opelka wants more openness in professional tennis as he thinks it is essential for the tennis business to progress.
Opelka, who also recently suggested that the ATP should “eliminate” doubles tennis, revealed another major change he would like to see on the pro tour.
A former World No. 17 in singles, Opelka has been out of action since August last year as he recovers from multiple injuries. He shared his opinions on the biggest improvements he would like to see in the operational and managerial aspects of the professional circuit.
“I would advocate for transparency,” Reilly Opelka said on a recent episode of The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast.
“I would want transparency all around in this sport. That’s how sports move forward, businesses move forward.”
The American also slammed the revenue-sharing deal between players and the ATP Masters 1000 events.
“Players have a split with net revenue. That’s like the biggest sucker deal in sports…Who does a net revenue deal? That’s crazy. That absolutely doesn’t exist in other sports,” Opelka added.