You will rarely catch Reilly Opelka in the kitchen, but the American certainly knows plenty about food. 

In this edition of The Tour – Food Court, the 24-year-old, who will compete next week at the BNP Paribas Open, spoke to ATPTour.com about the two foods he will not eat, the importance of Lucky Charms and more.

When you stayed with Tommy Paul during the pandemic, did you guys ever cook, even something small?
Very rarely. Maybe once a year… The only way I do it at home is if there’s time. If it saves time, if it’s more efficient for me to make oatmeal at home, two scrambled eggs, some berries and toast, then I’ll do it. But even then, it takes up too much time.

You get guys on tour who, every single meal they eat, it’s pre-planned. How careful do you have to be to avoid any issues with your training?
I don’t monitor or track it, but I eyeball everything. I ate at Surf Club, I ate a lot of dessert, I ate a lot of bread, I ate a lot of butter, so the next couple of nights [I knew I was] really going to reel it in and go cleaner, watch what I eat, [eat] more simple, whatever. It’s just balance.

I don’t moderate it too crazy, but you do have to be somewhat conscious of what you’re doing, especially for the Slams, because playing five sets is a whole other animal, so what you put in your body is pretty important.

When you were younger, training in Florida, did you have a different idea about nutrition? And when did you came to realise that you can do certain things?
I have a crazy sweet tooth, that never changed. Luckily for me I’m very hyper as well, and very active, more so than most, even if it’s not training-related. Playing basketball, I’m on my feet, walking around somewhere. I lift, I play tennis, I work on my speed and footwork, and that takes up a whole day, so it’s really hard. My input-output is definitely one-sided… high on the output side.

So for now, I’m really enjoying the fact I can get away with eating whenever, especially when I’m not in a Slam. But any month where there is a Slam, my diet changes.

Does it help that you’re a bigger guy, so you might need more?
Yeah, for sure. I think I can definitely get away with [more]. It’s hard for me to gain weight as it is, so it definitely helps.

What is your go-to cheat meal?
Lucky Charms. I love Lucky Charms.

As a snack?
Yeah, or like a little nightcap, a little dessert. I don’t want to eat them before I play, but at night, I eat Lucky Charms.

I had a dessert once, it’s like this orange ice cream, with almost this marshmallow meringue on top with honey. It was just a crazy.

If you want to go to a good restaurant, the drinks are important. Before a match you don’t drink alcohol, but the mocktails, that’s an art as well. It’s a full service and you want to try that or try the dessert, that’s all part of it. If you want fine dining, you can’t just go off appetisers and entrees. You have to do the whole thing if you want to judge a restaurant.

If you could have one meal, what’s one you would have, and what’s one you would never have?
I love caviar. Good caviar, you can’t beat, and I like beef wellington.

I don’t do eel. I tried it, I don’t like it. I don’t like sea urchin. I eat a lot of Japanese food. It’s my favourite cuisine. Those two are the only no-no’s for me.

I know you’re into trying high-end restaurants. When did you get into that?
Probably 2018. I love New York City. New York City is the best city in the world. Part of the appeal of it for me is every street, there’s something special food-wise.

One of my really close friends is an unbelievable chef, his name is Simon Kim. He opened up a restaurant in Miami, it’s been around in New York for a while, it’s one of my favourite restaurants in New York City. It’s called COTE and it’s my favourite restaurant in Florida, in Miami for sure. It’s Korean barbeque. He’s an unbelievable chef. He’s had success in other restaurants as well, outside of Korean food.

You mentioned the type of salt that goes in. Most people don’t think like that, but I’m sure that attention to detail leads to greatness if it works?
No doubt, it’s really a process of trial and error. It’s hard, you can’t always go off your tastebuds. But the thing I love about COTE, unlike most restaurants that are great foodie restaurants, like Per Se and Surf Club to name a few, but COTE is one that I can eat at a few times a week, because it’s clean, it’s lean meat. It’s one of the few foodie restaurants that I can crush before training a few times a week and it’s not going to get in the way.

Such is the talent of Carlos Alcaraz that it is easy to forget he is still an 18-year-old who finished school just last year and only recently passed his driving test. The Rio Open presented by Claro champion benefits from a solid group of people around him in his mission to grow, both on and off court.

“When he’s on court, he doesn’t look like a boy,” his friend Pablo Carreno Busta tells ATPTour.com. “He is very mature, but of course off court he still has things to improve. [His coach] Juan Carlos [Ferrero] knows what it is to be the No. 1 in the world and as that is Carlos’ goal, he takes care of a lot of things.

“For example, Juan Carlos really insists that he [Alcaraz] has to go to bed early,” adds Carreno Busta, who has been Alcaraz’s practice partner for many years at the Equelite Ferrero Academy. “[He also helps with] things like his mobile phone and Instagram…normal, everyday things, but things you have to control.

“That’s also good. Carlos is a kid with a lot of room for improvement.”

The entourage of experience surrounding the #NextGenATP star helps keep his feet on the ground. Even more so at moments like this, when he is enjoying breaking into the Top 20 of the ATP Rankings for the first time. None of the Big Three (Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal) managed to reach such heights so young.

Despite such precocious success, many people around Alcaraz constantly remind him of how far he has yet to go. Carreno Busta is one of them. “I’ve managed to help him with certain things, and it’s a genuine pleasure for me,” says the World No. 16, who is also Alcaraz’s regular doubles partner. “Hopefully I can continue to help. For me it would be great news if Carlos learns something from me or watches me, or if I help by training with him.”

One on-court skill Carreno Busta has passed on is touch. “Drop shots, counter drop shots, tricking your opponent…things you do in training when you’re relaxed, but when it comes to matches, they can really help you,” says Carreno Busta. “Things like that, he copies them, and with great ease because he really learns quickly as soon as you show him something.”

Although Carreno Busta is a mentor, there is also a brotherly aspect to his relationship with a player twelve years his junior. “There is competition, of course,” says the six-time ATP Tour titlist. “We compete to see who has the best shot in training. But not only in tennis. We are even competitive when we play chess and golf…or anything. That’s when there’s healthy competition between us.”

Who comes out on top more often? “At the moment I’m able to beat him in most things,” answers Carreno Busta with a smile. “At the end of the day, I have more experience at the moment, but in tennis I’m not sure if I’d beat him anymore because he’s improving really fast.” In fact, improving so quickly that Alcaraz, who was outside the Top 130 a year ago, is now just 159 points behind Pablo in the ATP Rankings.

“We’ve trained a lot together,” explains Carreno Busta. “I always thought he had something special. Even so, it was difficult to predict that he would be that good so quickly, which shows how much he has grown in the last two years. I think I’ve been lucky to coincide with him, to see him close up in pre-season, seeing all his hard work.”

Carreno Busta takes brotherly pride in Alcaraz’s improvement and doesn’t miss any of his friend’s matches, even when they are not in the same place. “I watch him whenever he plays,” says the 30-year-old. “While I was travelling to Acapulco, for example, I watched what I could of his final in Rio. And I’m really happy. I’m happy about every good thing that happens to him, because he deserves it. As well as being a great tennis player, he’s very polite, very likeable, very nice and well-mannered, just like his family and those around him.”

Despite Alcaraz’s rapid progress and the possibility that his younger compatriot may one day win the pair’s first clash on the ATP Tour, Carreno Busta has no intention of stepping back from supporting and guiding the 18-year-old. Like any brotherly relationship, however, that doesn’t mean he will always give Alcaraz an easy ride.

“Now he has his driving licence, he can finally take me somewhere in his car,” adds Carreno Busta. “But not yet. When he has more experience…I still don’t trust him!”

– Story courtesy ATPTour.com/es

Alex de Minaur got Australia off to a flying start before Hungarian No. 1 Marton Fucsovics struck back in Sydney to leave things intriguingly balanced on day one of the Davis Cup Qualifiers on Friday.

De Minaur, who claimed his first ATP Tour title in Sydney in 2019, put Lleyton Hewitt’s team in front on Ken Rosewall Arena with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over World No. 240 Zsombor Piros, but 2018 Geneva champion Fucsovics levelled the tie by edging Thanasi Kokkinakis 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-3 to leave it all to play for in Saturday’s doubles and reverse singles rubbers.

Spain in control in Marbella
Top 20 stars Roberto Bautista Agut and Carlos Alcaraz continued their red-hot form to take 2019 champions Spain to the brink of qualification with straight-sets wins against Romania on the clay in Marbella.

Doha champion Bautista Agut defeated Gabi Adrian Boitan 6-3, 6-1 before Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals champion Alcaraz overcame Marius Copil 6-4, 6-3, the 18-year-old’s first match since clinching a first ATP 500 title in Rio de Janeiro to break into the Top 20 of the ATP Rankings for the first time.

Kwon keeps South Korea in the hunt
World No. 65 Soonwoo Kwon earned a vital win for South Korea as he beat Jurij Rodionov 7-5, 6-4 to level proceedings with Austria.

The pressure was on South Korean No. 1 Kwon following Dennis Novak’s comfortable 6-1, 6-4 win over JiSung Nam, but the 2021 Nur-Sultan champion was too strong for World No. 194 Rodionov on the indoor hard courts at the Seoul Olympic Park.

The winning team from each of this weekend’s 12 qualification ties will qualify for the Davis Cup Finals, to be held in September and November across four different cities.

Follow the latest scores and results on the Davis Cup website.

On 7th July 2012, Frederik Nielsen was on top of the world.

“It was one big ride of joy from start to finish,” recalls the 38-year-old of a manic Wimbledon fortnight as he and Brit Jonathan Marray came from nowhere to clinch the doubles title with a thrilling five-set win over Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau. “Playing with Jonny made it better because we got along well, and we were able to get the best out of each other.”

Fast forward 10 years and the Denmark Davis Cup captain announced his retirement from professional tennis after a second-round doubles defeat partnering Treat Huey at the 2022 Australian Open.

“I still loved the lifestyle of being a professional tennis player,” Nielsen told ATPTour.com this week. “But I didn’t have anything left to play for and it was the natural finishing of my career.

“Combined with the fact that I have a young kid, Ciara [Nielsen’s wife] has put a lot aside for my tennis and I look forward now to having her priorities at the top of the list.”

My time as a professional tennis player is up. It’s with disbelief I look back at my 20 years on tour. I’m leaving with pride and happiness over what turned out to be. Thank you to all the people I’ve shared time with that made it epic! I look forward to meeting up in the future!

— Frederik Nielsen (@freddienielsen) January 25, 2022

The Wimbledon win is inevitably a career highlight for Nielsen, who had always held a personal connection with the tournament. “I grew up coming to Wimbledon,” he said. “My grandfather [two-time singles finalist Kurt Nielsen] was a member there so he had access. I remember every morning I would look at the order of play, see what courts I was going to go to.

“Sometimes when I walked past a court that didn’t have a match on, I would put my hand on the grass to feel what it was like because I’d never played on a grass court, and I was just in awe of the entire experience and place. Every time I’ve come back, I’ve been able to appreciate the grandness of Wimbledon.”

Clinching a Grand Slam title helped push Nielsen to his career-high doubles ranking of 17 in the 2013 season and he also picked up two ATP Tour titles (Chennai 2014 with Johan Brunstrom, Munich 2019 with Tim Puetz), but the Dane is just as proud of his achievements on the singles court.

“When I started playing, I didn’t think I was going to be good enough to get one ATP [Ranking] point,” he said. “That never got lost on me, I was always able to remember where I came from and fully enjoy whatever the tour bought to me, whatever level I was playing.

“Qualifying for the Australian Open singles [in 2012] was huge. If you’re in the main draw of a slam that’s the pinnacle of tennis. I never really expected to do it, so to get that chance was special. A lot of hard work over many years and I was able to play a slam, that was big for me.”

Nielsen was also a Davis Cup stalwart for Denmark, playing in 45 ties between 2003 and 2021. “We were lucky to have some years where we had success,” he said. “It culminated by playing a full-strength Spain team at home. The camaraderie with those particular guys in the team and the euphoria of achieving that was definitely special.”

Nielsen will stay in tennis, having started a job as National Coach at the Danish Tennis Federation alongside his Davis Cup duties. It marks an exciting new chapter after a highly satisfying career on tour.

“I loved every second of it,” he said. “It’s been a hell of a ride and I feel very privileged to have experienced it.”

Before the final game of Juan Martin del Potro’s loss in the first round of last month’s Argentina Open against Federico Delbonis, the fan favourite burst into tears. It had been two-and-a-half years since his most recent tournament. Four right knee surgeries made the Argentine doubt he would ever make it back. In that emotional moment, it hit Del Potro.

Seventeen years after turning professional, this might be the end. 

Del Potro’s tears were not from a place of sadness, though. In fact, he smiled for most of the night in front of the raucous Buenos Aires crowd. “Ole! Ole, Ole Ole! Delpo! Delpo!” Those chants reverberated throughout the stadium as Argentine flags waved in the air. Del Potro whirled his racquet like a magician’s wand, encouraging the fans with a wide grin.

The 33-year-old had nothing else to prove on a tennis court — the former World No. 3’s 22 tour-level titles speak for themselves. But after years of rehab and ups and downs, the determined Argentine wanted another moment with his fans. Although Del Potro has not announced his retirement, the night will not soon be forgotten.

“It was something spectacular and an unforgettable day that I will remember forever as one of the best days of my career,” Del Potro told ATPTour.com. “I experienced one of the most beautiful emotions that this sport gave me and I will always keep it in my heart.”

It was an emotional evening for everyone in tennis, including his colleagues, both in Buenos Aires and around the world. Diego Schwartzman had plenty of praise for his countryman.

“Delpo deserved everything he [experienced] on the court,” Schwartzman said. “Everything was emotional, his tennis was not a priority and he achieved all that he wanted, which was to rediscover the love of the people.”

As good as Del Potro has been at the sport he loves, he is even better at making people happy. The Tandil native is known for his trademark forehand. But more important than the number of winners the gentle giant struck is how he treats his profession and those around him.

People love Del Potro, win or lose. He invited fans along for the ride and no matter the result, he fought his hardest to give them a moment to remember. You will not find many people — if any — who have a bad thing to say about Del Potro. His smile is infectious and his game magnetic. Nobody competed with a greater mix of ferocity and sportsmanship.

Del Potro might not have known just how emotional his Buenos Aires match would be, but he was aware of how much it means to players when they near the end. At the 2013 US Open, former World No. 4 James Blake retired following a late-night loss in the first round. When he returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium, there were three players in the locker room: Andy Murray, Alex Bogomolov Jr. and sixth-seeded Del Potro.

“He came over and gave me a big hug. He said, ‘Congratulations, I wanted to be here. I saw what happened’,” Blake told ATPTour.com. “I was walking around and his trainer came over and said, ‘Hey, just so you know, he saw what was possibly going to happen and we have been waiting here for an hour. He wouldn’t leave. He wanted to wait’.

“He was waiting around because he saw I was losing in the fifth set and waited to see me. I just thought that showed him as someone who cared. He was just a genuinely nice person who cared about his competitors… I really appreciated it.”

^{Juan Martin del Potro, Indian Wells champion 2018. Photo Credit: Getty Images.}
That has always been his way, whether with colleagues or fans he had never met before. Del Potro towers above his opponents — physically and often in skill — but he never sees himself as better or more important than anyone around him. The Argentine makes plenty of lifetime fans by simply being kind, whether stopping to sign an autograph, saying hello or snapping a selfie.

In 2008, Frances Tiafoe’s coach told him about a rising player he should model his game after: Del Potro. Tiafoe did not often pursue autographs as a kid, but he asked the Argentine for one at the Citi Open, and he happily obliged.

“I just wanted to be like this guy. This guy’s a legend,” Tiafoe said. “When we played for the first time in Acapulco [in 2017], he won 7-6 in the third. It was a great battle. I remember telling him he was my favourite player growing up and he was like, ‘I heard, I heard. I think you’re going to have a great future.’ He’s just a legend, honestly.

“People just got behind him. He showed emotions, he cared, he had personality. I was a fan of his and he’s a legend. I hope he keeps going, but if this is it, he should walk with his head high forever.”

Perhaps the toughest part of evaluating Del Potro’s career is wondering what could have been if he had a clean bill of health. Early on, Del Potro appeared to be the man who would halt the dominance of the ‘Big Four’. The Argentine feared no opponent. A smooth stroke of his monstrous forehand could take the racquet out of anyone’s hands. He knew it, and so did the rest of the Tour.

His biggest moment came more than 12 years ago at the 2009 US Open. Del Potro, who had cracked the top five in the ATP Rankings earlier in the year, reached the semi-finals at only 20 years old. However, he faced a daunting task. The other three semi-finalists were Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

A clear underdog, he cruised past Nadal in straight sets before rallying from two sets to one down to stun five-time defending champion Federer in the final. Del Potro was the first US Open champion from Argentina since the legendary Guillermo Vilas in 1977.

^{Juan Martin del Potro celebrates victory over Roger Federer in the 2009 US Open final. Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images.}
In the years to come, there was more success. Del Potro has earned 10 wins against opponents ranked World No. 1, the most by anyone who has never held the top spot. He also made four Nitto ATP Finals appearances and racked up many wins against the best players in the sport.

But there has been a lot of suffering, too. In May 2010, Del Potro underwent right wrist surgery. From 2014-15, he had three left wrist surgeries. Those tough periods never dampened his resiliency, though.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, the gentle giant was ranked well outside the Top 100. Not only was his level unknown as he rebuilt his game, but he faced a determined top seed in Djokovic in the first round. In a cruelly ironic twist, Del Potro got stuck in an elevator before the match.

^{The Argentine wins silver at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Photo Credit: Getty Images.}
But like he did throughout his career, the Argentine dusted himself off and gave his best. Not only did he stun the Serbian, but he later eliminated Nadal too, and battled to his second singles silver medal.

No matter the toll injuries took on Del Potro’s body, his forehand never went away. More than perhaps any shot of his generation, that stroke was an equaliser.

“Playing against it was crazy. It was an absolute missile,” Tiafoe said. “I’ve played Roger, I’ve played Rafa, but I think it’s the best forehand of all-time, honestly. He can create space, on the run he hits it as well as anyone.”

Two years later, Del Potro earned his only ATP Masters 1000 title at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. The Argentine saved three championship points to claw past the resurgent Federer for one of the biggest wins of his career. Later that season, he reached a career-high World No. 3 and advanced to his second major final, riding the New York crowd’s support to the championship match.

^{Del Potro made a surprise return to the US Open final in 2018. Photo Credit: Getty Images.}
Through no fault of his own, Del Potro has been unable to avoid the injury bug. At the Rolex Shanghai Masters in 2018, Del Potro fractured his patella during a match against Borna Coric. After making his return four months later, he had to take nearly three more months off. Del Potro then slipped on the Queen’s Club grass and suffered the same injury.

The Argentine underwent four right knee surgeries — one in 2019, two in 2020 and another in 2021. Before his return in Buenos Aires, he had not seen competition since.

Blake, who broke his neck and suffered from shingles early in his career, explained how impressed he is by how often Del Potro was able to battle back. 

“My biggest wish for every athlete is they go out on their own terms and they get the most out of their potential and for him, I’m not sure he’s going out on his own terms,” Blake said. “For a great champion like him, I wish he would get that ability to be able to finish healthy and when he wants to, not when he’s somewhat forced to be.”

Most players share the same sentiment. Not only have they been honouring the Tower of Tandil, but they have been sad to see their colleague go, wishing he could continue on. Delbonis, Del Potro’s longtime friend and final conqueror, gave him a big hug at the net after their match.

“I said when we gave [each other] a hug that [he should] continue. I think all the tennis world wants him to continue,” Delbonis said. “I think he won a small match that he came again to a tennis court.”

Two days after his emotional Buenos Aires finale, Del Potro sounded content. If the Argentine never plays another match, he will always be able to say he left no stone unturned. And for that, the gentle giant will never be forgotten.

“I am a person who gave everything for this sport and I always gave my life in each tournament and in each place where I played,” Del Potro said. “Until the last day I gave my best and I hope that many kids can follow the path that I followed.”

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