Reilly Opelka Highlights What Sets Jack Draper Apart Following Their Miami Open Clash

MIAMI—Reilly Opelka’s 7-6(4), 7-6(2) second-round dismissal of Jack Draper at the Miami Open on Grandstand court was decided by the thinnest of margins, yet the American giant walked off convinced he had just navigated one of the circuit’s most complete athletes.

“It feels good just to get through a player like Jack,” Opelka told the stadium crowd moments after sealing his place in the last-32. “He’s an amazing athlete for his size, covers the court as good as just about anybody. He’s probably the third or fourth best player in the world when he’s healthy.”

The praise carried extra weight because Opelka, ranked No. 64 and climbing on the back of his Miami form, spent the better part of two hours being stretched from corner to corner by the Briton’s blend of power and court coverage. Both sets drifted into tie-breaks, but Opelka’s unerring serve—he never faced a break point after the opening game of the match—ultimately proved the difference.

For Draper, the loss ends a promising hard-court swing that began with a career-defining upset of Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells. It was only his third tournament since returning from an extended injury layoff, and the 22-year-old left Florida encouraged by the state of his game.

The Briton’s immediate schedule shifts to European clay. He is pencilled in for next month’s Monte-Carlo Masters, where he will try to defend third-round points earned last season against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, before heading to the Barcelona Open beginning 13 April.

Opelka, meanwhile, prepares for an all-American third-round meeting with Taylor Fritz, buoyed by a performance that reminded the Tour why, at his best, he can be as unplayable as anyone—especially when he’s dishing out compliments as forceful as his serve.