After Novak Djokovic's defeat at the hands of Reilly Opelka, Serena Williams' ex-coach pens emotional message

Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs praised Reilly Opelka after the American defeated Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International on Friday, January 3. The 6'11 American blitzed 16 aces past the 10-time Australian Open champion on his way to a memorable 7-6(6), 6-3 win.

Opelka's win has been hailed as a big step forward for the American as he has been struggling with injuries and form since 2022. Rannae Stubbs, a former World No. 1 doubles player, hailed Opelka's stunning showing in Brisbane as a "great story of resilience" and penned a heartfelt note for him via her Instagram Stories on January 4.

"I'm truly so happy for this guy," Stubbs, former coach of Serena Williams wrote on Opelka's win over Djokovic. "He's been (through) hell the last few years with his injuries and this is a great story of resilience! Well done mate."

Instagram | @rennaestubbs

After her retirement, Stubbs gradually transitioned to tennis commentary through her Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, where she often invites top tennis pros as guests.

After his stunning win over Djokovic, Opelka acknowledged the Serb as the "greatest player the sport has ever seen." The secret to his success in Brisbane, Opelka suggested, was playing "free."

"It’s difficult being in his (Djokovic's) position," Opelka said in the post-match interview. "He can scout me or other opponents all day long… the reality is we have nothing to lose against him. You end up playing more free. You take a lot more risk because if you play your normal level or even above it he’s gonna win every time. It’s tough in his position because he gets guys that roll the dice."

Meanwhile, Opelka is all set to challenge rising Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard for a place in the finals. The winner of the bout will play Czech Jiri Lehecka, who overcame an injured Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinal after the latter retired in the second set due to a hip injury.

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Novak Djokovic praised Reilly Opelka after Brisbane loss

Reilly Opelka at the 2025 Brisbane International: Day 6 - Source: Getty

Serbian great Novak Djokovic acknowledged that Reilly Opelka played "amazing tennis" to outlast him in the quarterfinals of 2025 Brisbane International. Top-seeded at the tournament, the Serb faced an astonishing defeat at the hands of the resurgent World No. 293.

Following the defeat, Novak Djokovic took to his Instagram stories shortly after the match and praised his American opponent for his 'deserved' victory, writing:

He posted after the loss, "Amazing tennis, Reilly. Absolutely deserved. Good luck."

Reilly Opelka unsettled the Serb with a barrage of heavy groundstrokes off both wings managing to eke out key points to swing the match in his favour. Moreover, he was virtually unbreakable during the match, giving up only a single break-point opportunity to arguably the greatest returner in the sport.

Meanwhile, the Serb has brought Britain's former No. 1 Andy Murray on board as his coach as he bids to capture his 25th Grand Slam. After an injury-interrupted 2024 season during which he was unable to win a single major, Djokovic has vowed to prioritize slams and enter more tournaments.