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Reilly Opelka has not shied away from sharing his opinion on the changes required in professional tennis, recently advocating for a ban on the use of Adderall by players.
Opelka last competed on the tour at the 2022 Citi Open, losing to Nick Kyrgios in straight sets in the third round. The American has been on the sidelines since then, due to hip and wrist injury.
The 26-year-old recently held a Q&A session on social media, inviting fans to submit their most insightful questions. One fan asked Opelka about any changes he would like to see in tennis, apart from his strong advocacy for the removal of doubles.
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In response, the American expressed his desire for a ban on the use of the stimulant drug Adderall.
"Ban Adderall," Reilly Opelka posted on his Instagram story.
Subsequently, Opelka was questioned about his call for a ban on Adderall, given its effectiveness in treating ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). In response, he drew a parallel by asking whether allowing players to use steroids to enhance their physical strength would be justified in the same context.
"My comment applies to professional tennis in particular. But some players have a hard time building strength... should they be allowed to take steroids?" he posted.
Reilly Opelka's stance on Adderall is consistent with his previous comments made in the aftermath of Fernando Verdasco being handed a two-month suspension after testing positive for ADHD medication in November last year.
Following Verdasco's suspension, Opelka took to social media and called out the Spaniard for "legal doping."
"One of the biggest issues in tennis.. why are guys taking adderall for the first time in their life as adults? Legal doping," he posted on X, formerly Twitter.
He also expressed his lack of sympathy for players who tested positive for Adderall, asserting that he considered the stimulant drug to be a performance enhancing substance.
"Sorry but I dont have empathy for any tennis player testing positive for adderall, as in my mind its a PED," Opelka added.
Reilly Opelka's father George showers praise on Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic won his record 24th Grand Slam singles title at the 2023 US Open.
Following his triumph, Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs suggested that the Serb's determination to outshine Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in terms of career achievements was driven by his awareness of their greater global popularity
"I think Roger (Federer) and Rafa (Nadal) definitely personified wanting to win a lot but it’s obsessive to Novak and you can see it. He wants to put the numbers up because he knows he’s not gonna be as popular worldwide as Roger and Rafa," she said via the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast.
Reilly Opelka's father George countered Stubbs' assessment, saying that Djokovic's legacy is an ongoing narrative that transcends their popularity as a metric.
"Novak is just wired different. His legacy is still being written and it extends beyond popularity contests, record books and his trophy case. If the media wants to focus on popularity contests, be sure to check in with the locker room too," George Opelka posted.
