Reilly Opelka dishes out his 2023 prediction involving Wimbledon
American tennis player Reilly Opelka revealed his wish for the upcoming 2023 season regarding Wimbledon.
The prestigious tournament came under fire in 2022 after they banned Russian and Belarusian tennis players from competing at the event due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The All-England Club revealed that they would only allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete at the Grand Salm if they condemn the actions of their nation. The decision meant that many top athletes, including the then World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, could not play in the event.
Reilly Opelka took to Twitter to mention that his only prediction for the 2023 season was that all the players from around the world could compete at the Grand Slam.
"Everyone will be allowed to play Wimbledon," said Opelka.
Everyone will be allowed to play Wimbledon 🤞 twitter.com/TennisPodcast/…
"I believe Wimbledon 2022 will be an inferior accomplishment due to the absence of the best possible field" - Reilly Opelka
Speaking about Wimbledon 2022, Reilly Opelka took to his social media handle to give his opinion on the tournament's ban on Russian and Belarusian players and revealed that the 2022 edition will be an 'inferior accomplishment'.
"A lot of people seem to be missing the 'point' it’s not about the 'points'. I believe Wimbledon 2022 will be an inferior accomplishment due to the absence of the best possible field," Opelka stated.
"Sport is the ultimate meritocracy. When you take some of the best players in the world out of the draw based on merit you erode the integrity of the event. It’s about the competitive advantage given to players, like myself by virtue to other great players not being able to play. Injuries are part of sport, managing behavior/emotions on court are part of sport. Discrimination/xenophobia cannot be part of sport," Opelka said.
In his interview with GQ, the American revealed that he had come to hate tradition in tennis and gave the example of Wimbledon's all-white dress code to prove his point.
"I’ve come to hate tradition. And, obviously, tennis is all tradition. Look at Wimbledon—that’s what it is. And it’s not for me. The more I’ve gotten into fashion and art, the more I’ve come to despise some things about tennis. The kits themselves, they’re all the same colors, they’re all so similar. Every brand does its photoshoots at Indian Wells, so the vibe is the exact same. There’s nothing unique about it anymore, and it’s sad," Reilly Opelka mentioned.