Novak Djokovic beaten by 6ft 11in giant who is ranked just 293rd in world in stunning upset
At the Brisbane International, 6′ 11″ monster Reilly Opelka shocked Novak DJOKOVIC with a straight-set loss.
Later this month, the 37-year-old Serb will compete in Melbourne for his 25th Grand Slam and record-breaking 11th Australian Open men’s singles championship.
In 2024, for the first time since 2017, he finished the year without winning a Grand Slam championship.
After losing to world No. 293 Opelka in the Brisbane quarterfinals, AndDjokovic supporters will be worried about his form going into his favorite Slam, the Australian Open.
Opelka, a 27-year-old American who advanced to the fourth round of the 2021 US Open and had his best Grand Slam performance, defeated Djokovic 7-6 (8-6) 6-3.
On his way to an unforgettable victory, he outplayed the Olympic gold champion, using 16 aces to his opponent’s eight.
Even if Opelka finished 17th in the world in February 2022, this outcome is nonetheless shocking.
Due to injury issues, the tall Michigan native has only participated in one game in the past three years, but he has already made a strong impression with an incredible win.
Opelka will now play Giovani Mpetshi Perricard in the semi-finals after tying Ivo Karlovic as the tallest ATP-ranked tennis player ever.
Djokovic, however, will be hoping the loss is just a fluke in his preparations for the Australian Open.
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Last year’s eventual winner, Jannik Sinner, knocked him out in the semi-finals.
After Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz and the winner of the French Open, Djokovic is the third favorite to win the trophy.
At the 2023 US Open, he defeated Daniil Medvedev in straight sets to win the trophy in New York, marking his final Slam victory.
However, when he defeated Alcaraz to win gold at the Paris Olympics last summer, he did accomplish his greatest 2024 dream.
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