"The worst umpire on tour... He didn't do his job" - Reilly Opelka's complete criticism of chair umpire Greg Allensworth after Dallas Open controversy

Reilly Opelka blasted referee, Greg Allensworth, after a point penalty handed out by the latter "almost changed the outcome" of his match against Cameron Norrie at the ongoing ATP 500 tournament in Dallas. Allensworth, according to Opelka, should be penalized by the ATP for "failing to do his job."

The controversy erupted when the American served for the match at 5-4, (30-30) in the third and final set. Upon being distracted by a person in the crowd, Opelka yelled:

"You doing it on fu***ng purpose or what? Go the f**k inside buddy"

Allensworth stepped in, handing Opelka a point penalty for his expletives-laden outburst. Following the decision, he got into a heated debate with Allensworth but to no avail.

After the match, Opelka said Allensworth's penalty had "almost changed the outcome of the match." Allensworth is the "worst referee," Opalka said after the altercation. The referee, Opelka claimed, should have stepped in and stopped the heckler.

"He didn't do his job, and then penalized me for it," Opelka said. "I hope the ATP penalizes him for it."

Opelka would go on to win the game and the match. When asked what he was looking forward to the rest of the tournament after his win over Norrie, Opelka cheekily answered:

"Not having Greg Allensworth on my court.”

The big-serving American will face his compatriot, third-seeded Tommy Paul, for a spot in the semifinals. The head-to-head stands at 0-0 as they have yet to play each other on the ATP Tour.

Reilly Opelka has made big strides in his comeback in 2025

Reilly Opelka in action at the 2025 Australian Open - Source: Getty

The 6-foot-11 giant Reilly Opelka, who missed much of 2022 and 2023 with wrist and hip injuries, has made significant progress as he mounts a comeback to the sport.

The American began his 2025 season on a high, taking out the 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic en route to the final of the Brisbane International. The summit class against Jiri Lehecka, however, ended in disappointment as he was forced to retire with an injury midway through the encounter.

“Still a long way to go. Now my focus is just my body,” Opelka told ATPTour.com after ending his Brisbane campaign.

In his first match at the Australian Open, Opelka whizzed 38 aces past Belgian Gauthier Onclin en route to a 4-set win (3-6, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2). He lost his second-round encounter against in-form Tomas Machac, 4-6 in the fifth set.