"Happy to see it" - Frances Tiafoe delighted as Reilly Opelka makes triumphant return to ATP Tour action at Newport after 2 years

Reilly Opelka made a victorious comeback at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open after being away from action for nearly two years. His return later got a heartfelt reaction from compatriot Frances Tiafoe.

Opelka, who entered the tournament as a wildcard, started strong in his first-round match against Constant Lestienne, taking the first set 6-1. However, the Frenchman mounted a strong comeback, winning the second 6-2. The third set went to a tiebreaker where Opelka triumphed 7-6(2), hitting 23 winners and committing just 5 unforced errors.

This was Opelka's first appearance on the ATP tour since August 2022 when he played against Nick Kyrgios in Washington. Opelka was performing well that year, reaching his career-best ATP ranking of No. 17. However, unexpected injuries to his hip and wrist required surgery and sidelined him for an extended period.

Former World No. 10 Frances Tiafoe celebrated Opelka's victorious return on his Instagram story, sharing a clip of his compatriot packing his tennis kit after the win.

"Happy to see it family @reillyopelka," Tiafoe wrote.

Frances Tiafoe's Instagram story (@bigfoe1998)

Notably, before his first-round match at the Mexico City Open earlier this year, Frances Tiafoe spoke with Tennis Channel and stated that tennis is the world's toughest sport.

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Reilly Opelka responded sarcastically to Frances Tiafoe's claim of tennis being the toughest sport

The 26-year-old Tiafoe emphasized that the small size of the ball requires excellent hand-eye coordination.

Frances Tiafoe at Laver Cup 2022 - Day Three

Additionally, the American noted that the lack of a set time duration for matches adds to the sport's difficulty.

"It's the hardest sport in the world. I still think it's the hardest sport in the world. Well, A, the ball in comparison to other sports is very small. Your hand-eye [coordination] has to got to be very good. Then there's no clock. You know, it's not a timed sport. When those guys come to watch me, they're like, 'How long is a tennis match?' I'm like, 'S**t I don’t know,' you never know," Tiafoe said.

"And then you know it's the uncontrollable movements, up and down, side to side. So it's tough and it's just you," he added.

Reilly Opelka (@reillyopelka) added a sarcastic comment to Tennis Channel's Instagram posted featuring the interview, choosing pickleball, a sport he has previously expressed his disdain for on social media, over tennis:

"I got pickleball at 1," Opelka wrote.

While Opelka is participating in Newport, Tiafoe is currently inactive. The latter's most recent match was at Wimbledon 2024 against Carlos Alcaraz in a grueling five-setter. The Spaniard emerged victorious over the American, winning 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 in the third round.