Reilly Opelka’s match against Roman Safiullin at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells was marred by a strange dispute between the American and the umpire.
Safiullin secured a 7-5, 6-4 victory, setting up a showdown with 15th seed Lorenzo Musetti in the next round. However, the match took an unusual turn when Opelka attempted to have it halted due to poor lighting conditions.
Opelka had a strong start, leading 5-2 in the first set, but his game unraveled as he lost four consecutive games. Frustrated, he was set to serve at 1-1 in the second set when he began voicing concerns about visibility.
Despite being instructed to continue, he initially refused to return to the court and then claimed he required medical attention.
“Call the physio then! I’ve had four wrist surgeries,” demanded the 27-year-old. However, he was informed that this was not the proper way to stop play and was given a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Eventually, the lights were switched on, allowing Opelka to resume serving. A physio arrived to provide treatment, but the world No. 145 abruptly decided he no longer needed medical attention for his wrist.
Safiullin remained composed despite the disruption and later secured the decisive break needed to progress to the last 64. For Opelka, however, the loss added to his growing list of career controversies.
Just last month, during his Dallas Open second-round match against Cameron Norrie, he clashed with a spectator, claiming they had distracted him while serving. Frustrated, he directed an expletive at the individual twice, resulting in a point penalty.
Following that match, Opelka also lashed out at umpire Greg Allensworth, accusing him of incompetence. “The worst umpire on tour—he’s really bad,” he remarked.
Emma Raducanu starts trial with new coach in Indian Wells; Who is Vladimir Platenik?
Emma Raducanu may have found her next coach, as the 2021 US Open champion is set to begin a trial period with Vladimir Platenik during this week’s WTA 1000 event in Indian Wells.
Since parting ways with Nick Cavaday in late January—after he stepped down due to health concerns—Raducanu has been without a permanent coach. Cavaday was notably the first coach she worked with for an entire season on the Tour.
During the Middle East swing, the British star was temporarily guided by some of her former junior coaches from the LTA. However, now ranked world No. 55, she seems to be moving toward a more stable coaching arrangement. If things go well in Indian Wells, Platenik could soon be confirmed as her full-time coach.
Raducanu’s campaign in the desert begins with a match against Moyuka Uchijima. If she advances, she will face Coco Gauff in the second round.
Platenik, a former Slovak tennis player, has a solid coaching résumé. Fifteen years ago, he guided Dominika Cibulkova to the French Open semifinals. He has also worked with Daria Kasatkina and Veronika Kudermetova, and more recently, coached Lulu Sun—the New Zealand player who defeated Raducanu in the 2024 Wimbledon round-of-16.
Raducanu’s decision to trial Platenik suggests she sees him as a strong candidate to lead her next chapter on the Tour.
“I think that’s why I haven’t necessarily jumped into something straight away, because I want to make sure it’s a right fit,” she explained in early February.
“And I think this period where I don’t necessarily have someone is going to tell me a lot. It’s going to teach me a lot, what I want, what I don’t want to look for in the next person.
“So I think I’m using this time period to just figure out what I really value.”
