Reilly Opelka is back—and ready for Cincinnati! After struggling with injury in 2024, the towering American returned in July 2024, charging to the Hall of Fame Open quarterfinals within weeks. Then came the real shocker in January 2025: a straight-sets win over Novak Djokovic in the quarters, followed by a victory over rising star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard to reach his first final since Houston 2022. This season, Opelka has truly flipped the script. And every step of that comeback has been guided by the sharp minds in his corner. Let’s find out who they are!

Who is currently coaching Reilly Opelka?

Opelka’s long-time guide on tour is Jay Berger, the former U.S. star who hit No. 7 in the world back in 1990. Berger has known Opelka since he was just 11 or 12, and their connection runs deep. Funnily enough, their careers share a quirky parallel: in 1990, Berger reached the Toronto final, losing to fellow American Michael Chang — the same stage Opelka reached in 2021. As a player, Berger was famous for his unique service motion, cocking his arm before the toss and sinking into a powerful knee bend.

In late 2024, another voice joined the corner: Denis Kudla, fresh off retiring from the tour. By December, Kudla was hands-on with Opelka’s game, bringing the perspective of someone who had just been in the trenches. He’s a big believer in his charge, calling him “virtually unbeatable when he’s playing good tennis.” Denis’s role has zeroed in on fine-tuning Opelka’s weapons — especially the mighty serve — while making adjustments to protect it after those past injuries.

Now the two form a coaching duo that blends steadiness with fresh insight. Berger brings long-term strategy and the big-picture advice, while Kudla adds recent tour knowledge and technical tweaks. Together, they’ve been central to the American’s rebirth! But the foundation for this player started way back with some other names as well.

A look at Reilly Opelka’s past coaching team

Long before his current team of Jay Berger and Denis Kudla, the towering American found his roots with Tom Gullikson — the man he says “pretty much… put a racket in my hand.” Gullikson, a former pro, U.S. Davis Cup captain, and one-half of the legendary Gullikson twins, first worked with Opelka when he was about 12 at the USTA center in Boca Raton.

In 2022, Opelka openly paid tribute to both Tom and his late twin brother Tim, declaring on Instagram, “Wouldn’t be playing tennis if it weren’t for these two.” The twins were doubles stars of the ’70s and ’80s, Wimbledon finalists in 1983, and Tim famously coached Pete Sampras in the ’90s. But it was Tom who Opelka credits for his fundamentals. “Tom was pretty much the guy who put a racket in my hand,” he told Tennis.com, “My fundamentals come from him. I have been so fortunate to be around some of the best minds in tennis from a young age. Gully is unbelievable. He taught me everything.”

Another big influence came years later in the form of J.Y. Aubone, who traveled with Reilly Opelka from roughly 2018 to 2021. Aubone took him from world No. 229 to flirting with the top 20, bringing a pro’s insight and a laser-focused approach to his game. The stint marked one of the fastest climbs of Reilly Opelka’s career, proving that detailed planning and consistent touring experience can change everything.

Then there’s Friedrich Kunath, another behind-the-scenes figure who offered technical guidance along the way. Opelka once called him a “good friend,” a nod to the trust and camaraderie that defined their time together. Taken together, this lineup — from Gullikson’s early mentorship to Aubone’s tour shaping and Kunath’s fine-tuning — built the foundation for the player Opelka is today.

Reilly Opelka’s coach gets candid on his form

After disappearing from the tour for nearly two years to battle through hip and multiple wrist surgeries, the American giant made a splashy comeback in Newport last week, blasting his way right into the semi-finals. Fans were buzzing: Was the serve-bot back for good?

Behind the scenes, Opelka’s longtime coach, Jay Berger, has watched his charge fight through setbacks with relentless grit. “He had some really great mentors,” Berger told ATPTour.com in 2024, name-dropping Tom Gullikson, Brian Gottfried, Jim Loehr, Michael Sell, and Andy Brandi as key figures in shaping Opelka’s character and outlook. “I’m probably happiest [about] the kind of person he is,” Berger said with pride. “He listens and keeps trying to get better.”

At the Brisbane International earlier this season, Denis Kudla—Reilly Opelka’s traveling coach and a recent tour retiree—couldn’t help but draw parallels between Opelka and rising star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. “I saw Perricard and practised with him when he was like No. 300 and [how] he made this rise to 30 in the world. I was saying in my head, ‘There’s no reason you can’t do the exact same thing, if not better’,” Kudla shared. Watching Opelka take Perricard down 6-3, 7-6 in straight sets only lit the fire brighter. “I’m very confident that he’s going to get back there.”

As Reilly Opelka preps to face sixth seed Alex de Minaur in Cincinnati’s round of 64, the excitement is real! Will Opelka and his dream team guide him to glory in Ohio?