"Venus Williams will go down as the second-greatest tennis player of all time; Serena Williams is first by a mile, put her up there with Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo" - Reilly Opelka
Reilly Opelka reckons Serena Williams is the greatest tennis player of all time without a doubt, while her sister Venus Williams should be considered the second-best. In terms of influence and success, Opelka places the 23-time Grand Slam champion right up there with other legends like Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Speaking in a recent interview with Red Bull, the World No. 26 recalled his experience of training with the Williams sisters, stating that they can hit the ball as well as anyone else on the men's tour.
"Venus [Williams] will go down as the second-greatest tennis player of all time. Serena [Williams] is first by a mile. You have to put her up there with [Michael] Jordan and LeBron [James] or [Cristiano] Ronaldo," Reilly Opelka said. "I practice with both of them; they live just up the street from me. They hit the ball as good as anyone."
The 24-year-old went on to hail the duo for changing the game, a feat made all the more remarkable by the fact that they played in the "toughest era" of women's tennis.
"We all need to honour @SerenaWilliams and her amazing career"
"It was a true honour to share the court with her"
đź‘Ź "We all need to honour @SerenaWilliams and her amazing career"
🎾 "It was a true honour to share the court with her"
@EmmaRaducanu pays tribute 🙏 https://t.co/7LDxE1hrqv
Although Serena Williams has declared that she will be wrapping up her career at the end of the year and Venus Williams is edging ever closer to the same fate, the American believes they still love playing and winning tennis matches.
"Serena and Venus played in the toughest era of women’s tennis and changed the game. But they still love tennis and winning tennis matches. There’s no other reason for Serena to play," Reilly Opelka said. "I know Venus still loves it, too. Serena has so many records; she’s already known as one of the greatest athletes ever. I think that buzz of winning has to be the only reason she’s still playing.”
Serena Williams lost to Britain's Emma Raducanu in the opening round of the Western & Southern Open, a WTA 1000-level event in Ohio.
It was Williams' second match since announcing she will "evolve away from tennis." cnn.it/3AsQWMI
"Fashion is a whole crazy world, but it’s more of a thing of the past for me, I don’t think the art is there anymore; the art in it has gone" - Reilly Opelka
During the interview, Reilly Opelka also touched on his interest in fashion, an industry that no longer carries the same excitement for the American. Blaming the fashion world for going commercial and losing all touch with art, the World No. 26 proceeded to question the sustainability of overexpensive outfits that people buy only for clout and let collect dust after a single use.
"Fashion is a whole crazy world, but it’s more of a thing of the past for me. I don’t think the art is there anymore; the art in it has gone. It has gone so commercial. It’s who’s who—it’s so Hollywood. It’s actually everything that’s wrong with society. It’s a world of hypocrites," Reilly Opelka said. "If you make a piece for 2 grand and it has Dior written on it, someone is going to buy it, put it on Instagram and then never wear it again because it’s so super recognizable. How is that sustainable?”
However, the 24-year-old revealed that he likes to buy clothes based solely on their practicality, to the point that he would get a few similar outfits and rotate them over as long as they remained comfortable to wear.
“If I find an outfit I like and it’s practical, then I buy three or four of them and rotate them over three or four weeks. I like to spend a lot of time in New York or L.A. When I’m gallery-hopping I’m just about practicality," Reilly Opelka said. "There’s a pant I like that’s got a huge pocket, which means I can fit my phone, my wallet, my charger, even a sandwich or a bottle of water. It’s just so practical.”