US Open 2025: Carlos Alcaraz vs Reilly Opelka preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (2) Carlos Alcaraz vs Reilly Opelka

Date: August 25, 2025

Tournament: US Open 2025

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York, USA

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Hard

Prize Money: $90,000,000

Live Telecast: USA - ESPN | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN, RDS

Carlos Alcaraz vs Reilly Opelka preview

Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Five-time Major champion Carlos Alcaraz will take on Reilly Opelka in the first round of the US Open 2025.

Alcaraz started the year with a quarterfinal showing at the Australian Open, and then claimed his first indoor hardcourt title in Rotterdam. His title defense at Indian Wells Masters concluded with a semifinal loss to Jack Draper, and he was stunned by David Goffin in the second round of the Miami Open.

That loss to Goffin proved to be a turning point for Alcaraz. He hasn't lost prior to the final of a tournament since then. He won the Monte-Carlo Masters, the Italian Open and the French Open, and was the runner-up at the Barcelona Open during the clay swing. He clinched the Queen's Club title at the start of the grass swing and fell to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final.

Alcaraz continued his good run of form by winning the Cincinnati Open. He was up against Sinner in the final, and unfortunately the match ended with the latter's retirement due to an illness.

A runner-up finish in Brisbane at the start of the year remains Opelka's best result so far. He hasn't advanced beyond the second round of a Major this season. His recent results include third-round appearances at the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Reilly Opelka head-to-head

This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Reilly Opelka odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Carlos Alcaraz	-1600	+1.5 (-550)	Over 33.5 (-135)
Reilly Opelka	+775	-1.5 (+310)	Under 33.5 (-110)

(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)

Carlos Alcaraz vs Reilly Opelka prediction

Reilly Opelka at the Canadian Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Alcaraz has been in excellent form for the past four months, posting a 39-2 record since the start of April. Opelka, on the other hand, has won 30 matches since the start of the 2024 season.

Opelka has a 4-4 record at the US Open. He recorded his only fourth-round appearance at a Major so far at his home Slam in 2021. Alcaraz claimed his maiden Major title at the US Open 2022 as a 19-year-old, and also captured the No. 1 ranking at the same time.

Alcaraz has a 17-3 record in New York, and lost prior to the quarterfinals for the first time last year. He was upset by Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round in one of the most surprising losses in recent times. It also marks his only loss before the quarterfinal stage of a Major since winning the US Open 2022.

Opelka's serve is his only reliable weapon, with his entire game being centered around it. Alcaraz ranks second on the tour with respect to return points won this year, winning 42.6 percent of points on his opponent's serves. Thus, he shouldn't face too many problems in handling the big-serving Opelka.

Pick: Carlos Alcaraz to win in straight sets.

About the author

Rohit is a journalist at Sportskeeda who specializes in covering tennis. Having been with the company for three years, he has proven himself as a formidable force in the field. With a Master's degree in law, Rohit brings his analytical and research skills to the forefront as a journalist. He stays on top of the game by using social media platforms and never misses a match for on-court insights. He values giving credit where it's due, keeping his reporting fair and accurate.

At the outset of his career, Rohit found his niche in writing previews and SEO pieces and it's this expertise that continues to define his role at Sportskeeda. He is particularly proud of one article that garnered an impressive 750k views and surpassed his "wildest dreams." Rohit is not particularly fond of (GOAT) debates and it is one of the reasons why he left the legal world behind. He prefers to view players in "tiers," where they're all esteemed to an extent. However, if pressed to name favorites, he would choose Serena and Venus Williams. The Williams sisters' journey from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of tennis has been his greatest source of inspiration.

When he isn't busy making spot-on predictions about match outcomes, Rohit likes reading, particularly fantasy, sci-fi, and comics. As an X-Men fanatic, he's also passionate about board games and enjoys watching movies in his spare time. And don't be surprised if you catch him silently wishing to the tennis gods for the removal of ad scoring from doubles.

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Edited by Rohit