Tall American ATP star, 6’11” Reilly Opelka, has struggled with his form lately despite earning a reputation for his speedy, lethal serves. But again, you can’t win matches with just the serve, right? The 27-year-old will look to keep this idea in mind when he steps on the court once again on Thursday.
Opelka will kickstart his Madrid Open campaign against young Australian pro Rinky Hijikata. The latter has also witnessed little to no success this season. So the question is: who will get back on the winning momentum and advance ahead in the ATP 1000 clay event this week? Let’s try to find out!
Reilly Opelka vs. Rinky Hijikata: Preview
Reilly Opelka got a brilliant start to his season back in January. He succeeded in reaching the final of the Brisbane International. Along the way, he also stunned 24-time slam king Novak Djokovic in the QF round. Unfortunately, Opelka couldn’t lift the trophy after his defeat to Jiri Lehecka. In the Australian Open, Opelka failed to leave a lasting impression after an early exit in the second round. But he bounced back in Dallas, making it to the last eight before losing to compatriot Tommy Paul.
In the next four events, however, the World No.103 went through a poor phase in form. At the Delray Beach Open, Indian Wells Masters, Miami Open, and Barcelona Open, he crashed out in R16, R128, R32, and R32 again.
Sep 2, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Reilly Opelka of the United States returns a shot against Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in a second round match on day four of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Speaking of his opponent, Australian Rinky Hijikata’s 2025 season has been mediocre at best. Back in January, he was ousted in the R32 at the Brisbane International. He then made a promising comeback in Adelaide, reaching the QF. But since then, his form has been underwhelming across all the tournaments.
Going into the next seven events, Hijikata failed to make deep runs. In Melbourne, Dallas, Delray Beach, Acapulco, Indian Wells, Miami, and Houston, he was eliminated in the first round, R16, R32, R32, R64, R64, and R32, respectively.
Reilly Opelka vs. Rinky Hijikata: Head-to-Head
Both players have never met each other in an ATP encounter. Currently, the h2h tally stands at 0-0. Thursday’s match will mark their first face-off on a professional level.
Prediction: Reilly Opelka to win in straight sets
Reilly Opelka leads Rinky Hijikata in the singles stats this season. Although the margin is not huge, he’s managed to win 10 of his 17 matches so far. On the other hand, the Australian has won just 9 of his 14 encounters. Now coming onto the event history, Opelka has had a long experience of playing in Madrid. His best, however, was reaching R32 – back in 2019. In his last two appearances (2021 and 2022), he crashed out in R64 successively. But what about Hijikata? Well, he’s appearing in his debut event in Madrid this week.
When it comes to playing styles, Opelka is known for his powerful, blazing-fast serves. At times, they can also hit up to 230 km/h. The American’s got a versatility, backed by his impressive court coverage. He likes to dominate his opponents from the baseline. Not to mention, he can also prove to be tricky near the net thanks to his movement. On the other hand, Hijikata possesses an effective ball-striking ability. He’s got an all-court game, mixed with powerful groundstrokes and strong serves, too.
Considering the overall form in 2025 and past event experience, the American seems like the better contender to advance in Madrid. Reilly Opelka is expected to win against Hjikata in straight sets on Thursday.
The post Madrid Open 2025: Reilly Opelka vs. Rinky Hijikata; Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction appeared first on EssentiallySports.
