'Should get demoted to pickleball!' Reilly Opelka has some strong thoughts about Andrey Rublev getting defaulted for yelling at a linesman in Dubai

As the 26-year-old was punished for his unsportsmanlike behavior, a controversy erupted. Many felt that it was the right punishment for Rublev, but quite a few big names sided with the Russian saying the punishment was too severe. Meanwhile, Opelka has found a flaw in the linesman’s judgment.

He commented on a post showing the entire incident. Opelka demanded that the linesman be demoted to pickleball as soon as possible.

Bush league...linesman should get demoted to pickleball asap. Reilly Opelka said.

Andrey Rublev’s default fuels demand for VAR in tennis

The Andrey Rublev controversy has fueled the debate on the need for a VAR in tennis. As Rublev himself demanded that the video of the entire incident be replayed and then a decision is made, many agreed. Rublev’s opponent, Alexander Bublik, also demanded that line calling should be made electronic.

A few other prominent tennis personalities like Coco Gauff‘s coach Brad Gilbert and Russian WTA star Daria Kasatkina said that it is high time that electronic line calling becomes regular at every ATP and WTA tournament. Kasatkina even asked for a VAR in tennis.

So you can just default a player, take his points and money away, without even checking a video replay?? What a joke, another confirmation we need a VAR in tennis and electronic line calling on all tournaments. Daria Kasatkina wrote on X.

Notably, the ATP announced last year that ELC will be adopted across the tour from 2025. So far, ELC has been used voluntarily in tournaments.