'She is a great friend outside the Tour': Reilly Opelka on his US Open mixed doubles partner Venus Williams

Reilly Opelka commented on the partnership he will have with Venus Williams in the US Open mixed doubles, after receiving a wildcard to compete in the tournament's new format. The former world No. 17 will team up with the seven-time Grand Slam champion in an unexpected doubles pairing that will fight for the title and a prize of one million dollars.

The US Open is preparing a mixed doubles draw that has generated buzz, as it will feature a good number of top singles players—filled with top-10 men's and women's singles players. This has also relegated doubles specialists to a secondary role.

The draw was reduced from 32 teams to only 16, with half of them entering with wildcards from the organization. One of them was designated for the legendary Venus Williams, who recently returned to the courts at the DC Open and already has a couple of appearances. She got a win in singles and doubles in the first round of the DC Open, showing that her level of competition is still there despite being 45 years old.

This week she was at the DC Open—although only in singles—falling in a good battle against the Spanish player Jessica Bouzas Maneiro—one of the inspired players in this American hardcourt swing. In any case, the former No. 1 still has another commitment in a week when she will play mixed doubles alongside her unexpected partner, the former world No. 17 Reilly Opelka.

The 27-year-old player continues to seek a return to his best level after a couple of years in which injuries kept him out of competition. He has already reached No. 65 in the live ranking—after reaching the third round in Cincinnati—and the US Open will surely be one of the challenges that most attract his attention heading toward the end of the season. Especially because he will have the opportunity during Fan Week to join the legend Venus Williams in mixed doubles.

In a recent interview, Opelka detailed how the partnership came about and spoke of his good relationship with the former world No. 1. "We have a lot in common, we love tennis, art, and we both live in South Florida,” the American world No. 73 said. “We have trained together on some occasions, even when I was injured, she was always there supporting me. Besides being an amazing tennis player, she is a great friend outside the circuit. I have learned a lot from her."

"The ranking doesn't lie"

Opelka still hopes to return to his best level and again occupy a place among the best. The American continues to show why he became one of the best servers of the last decades, with 15 aces in his debut against Hugo Dellien and another 14 in the second round against Alex De Minaur. It was precisely against the Australian that he got his second victory over a top-10 player this season—the first against Novak Djokovic in January in Brisbane—and he returns to the third round of a Masters 1000 for the third time this year.

The 2021 Canadian Open finalist believes he is not yet at his best level and assured that despite being away from the courts for a couple of years, his current ranking is precisely what reflects his current level. "I have defeated great rivals, but I have been injury-free for a year and I'm ranked 73rd in the world,” he stated. “The ranking doesn't lie. I have been playing every week, staying healthy, and I am rightfully at this ranking. I have lost many second and third rounds. I reached a final and another semifinal in ATP 250 tournaments; I haven't had better events."