The US Open hype is real! With just two weeks to go, players are sharpening their game in Cincinnati — but the buzz exploded on July 21 when the wild card list revealed Venus Williams teaming up with longtime friend Reilly Opelka. Both are making comebacks this season after long injury setbacks. The duo once laughed off dating rumors but have always called themselves “good friends.” Now, that bond heads to the Grand Slam stage.

Following his shock R64 upset of sixth seed Alex de Minaur in Cincinnati, Reilly Opelka explained the connection to Tennis Channel. “We have a lot in common,” he said. “We both love tennis. We both love art. We both live in South Florida. So, yeah, I think we practiced together in West Palm Beach a few times. And we’re traveling and playing a lot of the same tournaments. Go to a lot of museums and art galleries… we have a lot in common.”

Their friendship, it turns out, grew out of this shared love for art and culture. They even co-founded an informal “Art x Tennis Club,” often spotted together at gallery events and fashion gatherings like Art Basel Miami. Over time, the connection only deepened, especially in the tough times.

“It was a great friendship, and I’m so lucky, you know?” Opelka said. “Even when I was injured and not in a great spot, just a spot of doubt or not sure what I was going to be doing with myself, she was one of the few people who was always there.” He was perhaps referring to the hip and wrist problems that kept him out of ATP Tour action for nearly two years. Through it all, Venus Williams was there. “Always in my corner and just an amazing friend to have,” he said. Venus Williams knows that road. She’s endured her own struggles with injuries and illness — from a 2011 Sjögren’s syndrome diagnosis, which causes fatigue and pain, to an open myomectomy to remove fibroids and a large focal adenomyoma last year.

“Aside from being a great mentor, tennis-wise, just an amazing friend and an amazing human, she gave me a lot of great feedback on life outside of tennis,” Opelka concluded. It’s clear he admires more than her legendary career. He values her personality, her philosophy — and that fierce spirit. As he’s said before, she’s “a bad***,” with a competitive fire and a way of thinking that’s all her own.

Opelka heaps praise for Venus Williams’ unique fashion quests

Back in March, Paris Fashion Week was on fire when 40-year-old Williams stole the spotlight at Lacoste’s Fall RTW 2025 show. Designer Pelagia Kolotouros, in her third collection, honored René Lacoste, while Venus served up her own style win: a knee-length dark dress, jade-and-emerald scarf and bag, crocodile-inspired heels, and a cinched long coat. She’s been a Lacoste ambassador since 2022 — and she wore it like a crown.

Front row? She ruled it. Beside her sat 51-year-old Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody, fresh off his second Best Actor win for The Brutalist. Fans gushed, cameras flashed, and ATP star Reilly Opelka summed it all up with one perfect Instagram word: “Iconic.” Even when it comes to her on-court performance, he’s always had a positive thought.

Speaking to Inside Tennis in 2021, Opelka gushed about the Grand Slam champion and said, “She’s an absolute bad*ss. I learned more from her than any other active player. She’s brilliant – a fierce competitor. She works extremely differently than anyone else. The great ones think differently.” And now, the 6’11” American isn’t just watching anymore. He’s about to be her doubles partner.

Lucky for him, Venus Williams is doubles royalty — 14-0 in Grand Slam finals with Serena, three Olympic golds, two mixed doubles Majors (Australian Open and French Open 1998), a Wimbledon mixed final, and an Olympic silver from Rio 2016. At 40, she’s still taking on the best, and now she brings that fire to this new team-up.

Opelka’s mixed doubles debut comes with a solid doubles cred, too — an ATP title at the 2021 Atlanta Open with Jannik Sinner, three more finals, and a career-high No. 89 in August 2021. But with Venus? That’s a game-changer. Now, we get to watch that brilliance in action, kicking off between 19-20 August! Are you ready?