US Open 2021 - ‘What a joke’ – Reilly Opelka hits out at ‘comical’ $10k fine for unapproved pink bag
:focal(179x135:181x133)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2015/03/26/1443595-30868867-310-310.jpg)
Published 05/09/2021 at 09:18 GMT
"I didn't even find out from them, which is even more comical. I thought it was a bit harsh, a bit excessive. My job is not to measure logos. My job is to win matches. I have bigger things to worry about." Reilly Opelka has hit out at US Open officials after he was fined $10,000 for using an unapproved bag...
Reilly Opelka of the United States looks on against Lorenzo Musetti of Italy during his Men's Singles second round match on Day Four of the 2021 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Image credit: Getty Images
Reilly Opelka has described the US Open’s decision to fine him $10,000 for using an unapproved bag as “a joke”, saying he hoped the money went towards a good cause rather than “a corporation”.
Opelka incurred the wrath of officials during his second-round win over Lorenzo Musetti when he appeared on court with a pink tote bag carrying the logo of a Belgian art gallery.
It was deemed that the logo displayed on the bag exceeded permitted limits and so Opelka was fined, much to his disgust.
"I mean, what a joke on the US Open to do that. 10K for a pink bag? Come on," Opelka said after beating Nikoloz Basilashvili in the third round.
"The head referee was telling me you should have come in and had this thing measured ... We had that logo specifically made. We measured. It is too big. It was not the same bag I was using at the French Open. We made the effort to make it smaller.
"There was a mistake in production, I think, because in Europe with the conversion, with what was allowed. But, yeah, I made the effort. The referee told me that it was too big and that was it. She said to cover one side of it."
Opelka was also unhappy with the lack of communication around his fine, and said he hoped the money found a deserving cause.
"I didn't even find out from them, which is even more comical," he said. "I thought it was a bit harsh, a bit excessive. My job is not to measure logos. My job is to win matches. I have bigger things to worry about.
"I'd love to see [the amount] get donated elsewhere. We've had a few tragedies here in the States the last couple weeks. If they are going to take 10K from me, it better not go to a major corporation. That's my thought."
Scan me
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement