The following is an entertaining question and answer session with top American tennis players Reilly Opelka and Tommy Paul, conducted by noted sports physical therapist Gary Kitchell, at The Boulevard Tennis Club in Vero Beach, Florida on December 9 as part of a charity fundraiser event for the Sally Wilkey Foundation. To read more of the event, click here: https://tennisgrandstand.com/2021/12/14/reilly-opelka-tommy-paul-entertain-for-charity-in-vero-beach-florida/
TOMMY PAUL: I was born in New Jersey, but…
GARY KITCHELL: South Jersey.
TOMMY PAUL: Yep. Outside Philly. And then grew up in North Carolina, basically from six months old until 15. So I’m a North Carolina guy. I’m sorry.
GARY KITCHELL: Tommy, when did you actually start playing tennis? And were you involved in other sports prior to that?
TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, I started playing tennis at six years old, but I played every sport. Every sport besides soccer, never got into it.
GARY KITCHELL: Okay. Were you pretty good at the other sports?
TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, I’d say. Basketball is always my favorite to play and baseball, I feel like I was pretty good at it. But, I didn’t think I could get to the level that I’m at tennis in those sports so started pursuing tennis.
GARY KITCHELL Great. Reilly, keeping the playing field even. How about you? Where were you born? Where were you raised?
REILLY OPELKA: I was born in St. Joseph, Michigan and I’ve been raised in Florida but I’m actually from Palm Coast. So not too far up the street from Vero, a little small, quiet beach town. So yeah, that’s home for me. I live in Boca Raton now, so I think I’m a Florida guy, I got to claim it.
GARY KITCHELL: Awesome. Tommy, when did you first become an academy student? When did you first go to a tennis academy? How old were you?
TOMMY PAUL: I’d say my first time going to an academy was USTA in Boca. I was probably 13 years old, 12 or 13 years old. I started going a week at a time and then I ended up being full time, around 15 years old. And then, yeah. And then I started doing my own thing.
GARY KITCHELL: Tommy, is there any truth to the fact that you actually were sent home several times from the academies over the years or? I just want to clarify that.
TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, there’s a lot of truth to that. Maybe two or three times I got kicked out. You said it nicely, but I’ll say it how it is. I got kicked out of the academy a few times, but they always let me back in.
GARY KITCHELL: Well, I think they recognized your talent. Do you feel you were kicked out of lack of effort on the court or was it the off court activities?
TOMMY PAUL: Off court stuff. (Laughs)
GARY KITCHELL: I think Reilly might tell a story about the public’s parking lot in a little while. Reilly, same question, when did you arrive at the academy?
REILLY OPELKA: Same time as Tommy, actually. We started together and yeah, that was pretty much it. We moved in together in the dorms, we were roommates since we were 14 years old.
GARY KITCHELL: Okay. So your first impressions of Tommy Paul, what were they? When you met this kid from Greenville, North Carolina?
REILLY OPELKA: Looking back at it now, he was Ferris Bueller is what I always say. That was his personality, that his character. He was the troublemaker and I was guilty by association through all of it. So I had a few trips home myself as well. Not as many as him, but he’s definitely dragged me down there with him. I entertained it as well. Yeah, guilty by association.-
GARY KITCHELL: So if we move forward 10 years, has any of those impressions changed?
REILLY OPELKA: I’m sure they have. I’ll always remember Him as what we were when we were 14, to be honest. But yeah, he’s definitely, unfortunately, matured a lot. It’s not as entertaining for me, but he’s matured a lot. Sometimes, the Ferris Bueller will come out of him. But for the most part he’s matured, which unfortunately, if you want to be good in this business, you have to do.
GARY KITCHELL: I love to hear that. Tommy, do you have a… Actually, you know what? It’s not a question, but it is now. Do you have a comeback? What’d you think of this long, draw to drink of water that came from North Florida? What were your impressions of Reilly and how did you choose to room together? Was that it choice or were you assigned?
TOMMY PAUL: I think a little bit of both. I think we were assigned, but we wanted a room together. And yeah, first thoughts of Reilly, I think… We kind of met each other one time before that when we were 10, we played in the tournament. But, I remember my family loved Reilly. So, my mom would always be really excited when I was hanging out with Reilly, so ended up being a lot of time together with Reilly.
GARY KITCHELL: Probably a good influence from a parental point of view?
TOMMY PAUL: Yeah. Yeah. He was always really good with the parents. So…
GARY KITCHELL: Yeah, actually he still is. Reilly, you have many nicknames on tour. I’m going to throw out a few of them, Servebot, T-Rex, Braveheart, Renaissance man. Now, for private reasons, you and I cannot discuss T-Rex and Braveheart, but we surely can enlighten the audience to tell us about how Servebot came about.
REILLY OPELKA: I think that one was pretty self explanatory, to be honest. It was something that John Isner and I got labeled. We obviously hold serve a lot. We hit a lot of ACEs. And, I think it was meant to be more of a negative term that we just made a joke out of and it caught on. All the other nicknames that Kitch mentioned were given to me by Kitch, so there was no one else on tour that does call me that besides Kitch.
GARY KITCHELL: So let’s discuss the Renaissance man.
REILLY OPELKA: I just found out about this one by the way.
GARY KITCHELL About a week ago. But I think this is great, great segues, it’s great depth to pro tennis players. Remember I’ve been doing this for 40 years, so invariably, I always get asked the personal questions. I don’t get asked, what was the forehand like? What was the serve like? What kind of guy is he? Or, what are his interests? How is he to hang out? Do they drink? Of course, I always say, “No. No. No, they do not.” So let’s talk to a minute, just a little bit about your love apart because it is a big deal. You were just all over social media, down at Art Basel, tell us about your growing love of the art industry.
REILLY OPELKA: Yeah, it’s one of my passions. Something I’ve always loved since I was young, but really got more into it as I started spending more time in Europe, on the road. There’s a pretty remarkable museum almost in every city when you’re in Europe, it seems like. So it was more accessible there and collecting became a big hobby of mine. I guess John McEnroe was one of the pioneers of that, in terms of sport. He’s probably got the best art collection in the history of any athlete, which I’m sure Kitch is familiar with, he’s probably seen some of the crazy stuff that Johnny Mac has. If people that don’t know, it’s remarkable, his home is like a museum. He actually has a studio, he has a gallery in Soho with some of the greatest arts of all time, which is really incredible for me to see. Especially coming from another tennis player, it’s unheard of.
GARY KITCHELL: That’s great. Just a couple names, share with us some of the artists that you’ve really fallen in love with, and that you’re collecting?
REILLY OPELKA: That I’m collecting, Friedrich Kunath, is one that I love. A guy, Rabinowitz another. Johnny Mac has a Friedrich Kunath. My favorite artist of all time, not in my collection is Philip Guston. I was super impressed Mac has four of them, of course, which is really remarkable.
GARY KITCHELL: Great. Thank you. I just love that. Actually, I was staying with Johnny Mac in his apartment one night and I don’t know, he had to run out. And he left me there and he said, “Listen, I’m having a painting delivered. Just check it out and make sure it’s okay.” I’m thinking, all right. So we opened the box, it’s actually created, and it’s a very macabre painting of the killing of Abraham Lincoln. It’s a crazy one. And so I’m like, “How do I know? What am I looking for? Chip pieces on the frames? Or whatever.” So it’s all good, now I’m going to sign and it was $1.5 million that I was authorizing that the painting was okay. So I know those feelings. Tommy, changing gears here a little bit. 2015 was a pretty big year in your life regarding tennis. Correct me if I’m wrong, you verbally committed to maybe going to the University of Georgia. Mikael Pernfors, Pernie, where are you? Oh yeah. That’s, yeah, good. Thanks Mikael.
GARY KITCHELL: So tell us a little bit. Actually, for both of you, 2015 was a big year. You win junior Wimbledon. You win the junior French. You make it to the finals of the junior US Open. You beat Fritz, Taylor Fritz, at Windy. You lose to Him at the US Open, right? You beat Taylor Fritz in the semis at Winby. And go on, who did you beat in the finals?
TOMMY PAUL: Mikael Ymer.
GARY KITCHELL: Oh, Michael Ymer. Great. So tell us a little bit about your decision thinking. You’re going to become a Bulldog, University of Georgia, quality tennis and you make a decision at some point to turn pro, and you’re 17, 18?
TOMMY PAUL: I was 18. Yeah. Just turned 18. Basically the whole beginning of the year, I thought I was going to go to school. I wanted to turn pro, but I didn’t know what I wanted yet. And I had a really good summer, right before French Open juniors and through the French Open juniors. And then I got some offers to turn pro and ended up making that decision to turn pro. It was a big year for both of us, like you said. All the Americans that are our age, I think they all turned pro in 2015. So it was a big year. And I don’t think, at least for me, I didn’t know what I was signing up for at the time. Took me a little while to get ready and get on tour, and start playing good tennis. But I learned a lot in the couple years right after.
GARY KITCHELL: Well, we’re certainly glad you both turned pro. Reilly, similar question. I know you’d entertained a little bit about the University of Florida pretty much the same year. Do you think having success at the ITF to winning a junior slam said, “Hey, I might be able to make a living at this. I might be able to compete. I should give myself a chance.”
REILLY OPELKA: Yeah. That’s usually what goes, if you don’t win a slam, you don’t get a contract. So if you don’t get a contract, it’s an expensive business to run. When you have a coach, a physio, you’re on the road, 30-
GARY KITCHELL: Don’t. Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t say physios are expensive. I was very, very inexpensive during my years with you. Maybe-
REILLY OPELKA: You think so?
GARY KITCHELL: Maybe the toll I put on you otherwise was a little expensive, but I’m only kidding.
REILLY OPELKA: No, it is a tough… When you think about you got three flights to book and then another way to the next place, you got three hotel rooms, you got expenses, they add up. So if you don’t have a contract from a Fila or a New Balance, or a Nike, good luck.
GARY KITCHELL: Yeah. People don’t realize out there, you could be running a deficit of $150, $200,000 cost of traveling the world with a physio and a coach, it’s at least north of a hundred, your charges. So you are right. It’s a very expensive if you’re not able to produce. Hey, I have a trivia question. So I got to make sure I don’t give it away. Akira Santillan, William Blumberg. What is the relationship of those guys to you guys?
REILLY OPELKA: It’s the weirdest question I’ve ever been asked in my entire life.
GARY KITCHELL: Ever. Okay. I’ll make it easier. Tommy, tell me about Akira Santillan. No, I’m sorry. No, no. Tell me about William Blumberg. The college stand out from chapel hill. What do you know about him?
TOMMY PAUL: Good friend of mine. We’ve known him for a long time.
GARY KITCHELL: And did you lose a Grand Slam final with him? Doubles?
TOMMY PAUL: Yeah. Yep. Played French Open junior doubles with him. Forgot about that.
GARY KITCHELL: Okay. Reilly, Akira Santillan. Did you lose a Grand Slam final with him?
REILLY OPELKA: Yeah. Junior grand slam final.
GARY KITCHELL: What junior grand slam final?
REILLY OPELKA: Big difference.
GARY KITCHELL: I thought it was a good trivia. Come on, I had to dig deep for that.
REILLY OPELKA: Well, yeah, you must have dug deep for that one.
GARY KITCHELL: As you can see, the better half of both the doubles teams are sitting here tonight. Akira and William are not with us. That’s all I wanted to do ask. Hey, let’s talk about 2021, big year for both of you. Who wants to go first?
REILLY OPELKA: Tommy does.
GARY KITCHELL: Well, obviously, you obviously had a huge statement at the near end of the year. Why don’t you take us through Stockholm, winning your first ATP title?
TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, no. My whole goal for this year was to get a title and it happened in the last week of the year, which was…
GARY KITCHELL: Whoa, go Tommy.
TOMMY PAUL: It was really cool because I definitely finished the year with a win. So that was the first time and hopefully not the last time that happens, but it’s not easy to do. So I was really pumped about it. I started catching a rhythm towards the end of the year, and I almost didn’t even go to Stockholm because I was worn out. Everyone at the end of the year, their bodies are struggling to keep going. And, I’m happy I went and then I ended up playing my best tennis there.
GARY KITCHELL: Perfect. A little bit for all us tennis fans here. Just jump in for a minute. Conditions were right. Do you feel today… Especially how they’ve homogenized all the court surfaces around the world? Did the speed of the court suit your very athletic game?
TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, I think there was perfect because it was so slow. Especially the balls that we were using were so slow that I felt like, I could use my speed and just put a lot of balls back in the court-
GARY KITCHELL: And run down everything.
TOMMY PAUL: Yeah. Frustrate people. So, yeah.
GARY KITCHELL: Yeah. Let’s talk about the people that you beat. Let’s throw out those names. Do you remember?
TOMMY PAUL: Yeah. Yeah. I played Bjorn Borg’s son.
GARY KITCHELL: Leo.
TOMMY PAUL: Yeah. Leo Borg, not the really famous one. Yeah. And then I played Taylor Fritz, another friend of ours. Another American.
GARY KITCHELL: Close friend.
TOMMY PAUL: I’m sure you guys know him. Then Andy Murray.
GARY KITCHELL: Former number one player in the world.
TOMMY PAUL: Yeah. On his comeback trail. And then, Frances Tiafoe.
GARY KITCHELL: Another great friend.
TOMMY PAUL: Another great friend of ours. And then Shapovalov.
GARY KITCHELL: Yeah, defending champion. That’s a hell of a week. Let’s give it up for Tommy Paul. Reilly, talk to me a little bit, 2021 big year for you as well. You make the fourth round at the US Open. I think you make the first thousand master semifinal in Rome, and then you go completely crazy in Canada. Take me through Canada. Take everybody through the Canadian masters.
REILLY OPELKA: Yeah, it was great. As soon as we got there, the courts were playing real fast, which usually suits my game pretty well. So I knew there was a chance at a good week to draw up, kind of opened up for me. I played Kyrgios, Dimitrov. I’m trying to think what we got. Lloyd Harris.
GARY KITCHELL: South African.
REILLY OPELKA: Yep.
GARY KITCHELL: Good competitor.
REILLY OPELKA: Yep. Saved some match points there in the third round.
GARY KITCHELL: RBA?
REILLY OPELKA: Yep. Bautista Agut, a Spaniard-
GARY KITCHELL: Tough competitor?
REILLY OPELKA: Yep. I played Tsitsipas in the semis and I lost to Medvedev
GARY KITCHELL: Yeah. And Medvedev. You both have played Medvedev. Right? Who was it, you? You have one win against Daniil?
REILLY OPELKA: Yeah. I’m one in…
GARY KITCHELL: Four. One of Five.
REILLY OPELKA: Say, six.
GARY KITCHELL: Six. Yeah. I didn’t want to say six.
REILLY OPELKA: Maybe seven.
GARY KITCHELL: No, no. We’re going to say five. One in five.
REILLY OPELKA: Including juniors eight.
GARY KITCHELL: Eight. We could probably… Maybe close to 10. No…
REILLY OPELKA: We can round up.
GARY KITCHELL: Are you, O-11? 0-12? He’s…
TOMMY PAUL: O-11.
REILLY OPELKA: He beat Tommy at the French and then he beat me the next night.
GARY KITCHELL: Yeah. The guy’s a demon to play, isn’t he?
REILLY OPELKA: He’s a demon.
GARY KITCHELL: He’s a demon. You have no idea where he is hitting it, fast as hell, big serve.
REILLY OPELKA: Yep. He’s got it all.
GARY KITCHELL: Has no compassion for human life.
REILLY OPELKA: He’s a great guy-
GARY KITCHELL: The guy is unbelieve. He’s a nightmare play.
REILLY OPELKA: Yeah, he is. He is.
GARY KITCHELL: Anyway, let’s give it up for Reilly that’s a hell of a week in Canada as well. So I had a wonderful opportunity. I’d been the medical director for 13 years on the senior tour, after I left the main tour when all the guys that I had worked with, Sampras, Courier Lendl, a few years earlier, of course, Mac a few years earlier, Agassi. I really didn’t have anything to do and then Jim started… We call it the senior tour, the champions tour. Anyway, we ended up having 187 vents around the world, which was great, got a chance to work with all the greats. I had an opening in my schedule and I was actually planning on retire. And this big guy called me in probably the summer of 2018. He’d been struggling physically a little bit. We peripherally knew each other, but I was so excited to get back at the big show. And Reilly was wonderful, took me all over the world. When I think back at that year, two things stick in my mind. One, the men’s tour is a time warp. I had left for 13 years. I was the only person that had left a tour, in 13 years. Every tournament director, every coach, players had become coaches. It was just the good old boys club being back and I was so excited. And the other thing I learned the most about was, Kodak Black, Pitbull, Lil Pump, Machine Gun Kelly, The Weeknd. I listened to freaking rap for 19 months every single day. And then every now and then, he would play Rod Stewart for me. I swear to God, I love rap today. Remember all those guys. This could be dangerous. I’d like to entertain a question from there, and a question from there, either for Tommy or Reilly. If I don’t like the question, I’m just going to publicly tell you, “That’s an awful question.” Who wants to go first?
GARY KITCHELL: The young lady in pink fushia stood up first. Davis Cup? Both the boys have played Davis cup. Who would you like to answer?
REILLY OPELKA: Yeah, we’d just got back from Italy. It was it was a rough couple ties for us. We lost to Italy, two, one. John and I both lost our singles, Sock and Rajeev won the doubles. And then, the next match we knew it was a tough situation because going into it, we knew we had to win. I think we had to win all six sets. So we had to win in straight sets, every match, which is a tough ask. All these guys are good and Frances had an unbelievable win, he saved match points in a crazy match. And then Isner lost a close one. And then Sock got Hewitt to pull out of the doubles against to Colombia, but it was unfortunate. It wasn’t the what we wanted, but it was good. Good time hanging with captain Mardy Fish. Yeah, the local Vero beach boy. Yeah, it was a good time. We didn’t play our best, unfortunately.
