Reilly Opelka, the 24-year-old American who is seeded 22nd at the U.S. Open, is already guaranteed his biggest payday at Flushing Meadows by reaching the fourth round at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.
That prize money check of at least US$265,000 for getting that far will be US$10,000 shy thanks to a fine assessed by the U.S. Tennis Association because a sponsor's logo on a pink bag he's toted to matches was deemed too large.
"I mean, what a joke on the U.S. Open to do that. 10K for a pink bag? Come on," Opelka said after beating Nikoloz Basilashvili 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday.
"The head referee was telling me, 'You should have come in and had this thing measured.' ... I thought it was a bit harsh, a bit excessive. My job is not to measure logos. It is just not. My job is to win matches. I have bigger things to worry about."
