'The Last Time' With Reilly Opelka

I missed a flight?

I’ve never missed a flight because I usually travel with other people. If I were on my own maybe it’d be a different story.

I lost something important?

I lose my wallet and everything in it every six weeks. I’m still trying to find the answer to why that is.

I paid money to rent a tennis court or buy tennis balls?

It’s been a while since I’ve paid for a court. Growing up in Florida, there are public courts everywhere. Balls I will buy once in a while. Maybe six months ago was the last time I paid for a can of balls.

Being famous helped me?

Not too many people know a guy ranked 800^th in the world, so hopefully we can come back to that questions in a couple of years. People do call me John [Isner] a lot. One fan thought I was him in Boca Raton. She took a photo with me and was so excited that she never let me say anything. She said: “I took a photo with you in Cincinnati six years ago, and I’m curious to see what’s changed.”

I strung a tennis racquet?

I was never able to do it. I tried one time when I was 10 or 11 and it was a mess. I never had the patience for it.

I cooked for myself and others?

One time Tommy Paul and I made chicken alfredo pasta. It was on a holiday and everything was closed. We had some groceries at the house I was renting. We managed to not set the house on fire.

I met a childhood idol?

I met James Blake at the US Open last year. I’ve always looked up to him. In fact I have a poster of him at my house. He was the player I watched the most growing up.

I shared a hotel room with another player?

A couple of weeks ago, I roomed with Tommy Paul at a Futures tournament.

I asked someone famous for an autograph or a selfie?

I approached [recording artist] J. Cole at the Charlotte airport a couple of weeks ago on the way to Winston Salem. I got rejected. He didn’t want to be recognised but we shook hands so it was cool.