Tennis standout Reilly Opelka is no stranger to offering his unfiltered opinion on the most critical issues in the sport, and he continued to convey his message during the ongoing Italian Open.
Opelka once again tore into tennis’ growing frustrations with prize money and revenue after reposting a graphic on Instagram on Friday that compared athlete revenue splits across major sports leagues and tournaments.
The image featured Novak Djokovic, two-time NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic, and three-time NHL MVP Connor McDavid while highlighting reported revenue percentages from the NBA (51 percent), NHL (50 percent), MLB (50 percent), NFL (48.8 percent), and Roland Garros (14.9 percent).
Opelka added to the debate by sharing the post to his Instagram story alongside the caption: “Scottie Scheffler’s caddie makes more $ than some top 10 tennis players.”
The PGA Tour star’s caddie, Ted Scott, has reportedly earned $2.1 million, while the ATP reports that Opelka has earned $6,049,053 in career prize money, along with a combined 127-123 record and winning four titles.
A 2020 article suggested that nearly 76 percent of players earned less than $20k that year, while 2026’s #304-ranked player, Tiagino Pereira, has earned just $16,748 in prize money so far this season across 13 events on the ATP Challenger series.
Opelka’s repost came after the 6-foot-11 American entered the Madrid Open carrying a (6-7) singles record in 2026 with $334,885 in prize money, but his tournament ended almost immediately after a painful shoulder issue forced him to retire while trailing against Nicolai Budkov Kjaer in the opening set.
The American has repeatedly voiced concerns over tennis economics in recent months. He pointed to a structural imbalance, as players outside the top 50 net less than “a teaching pro in south Florida.”
He continued by questioning how governing bodies handle tournament money, and how stars like Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Aryna Sabalenka have also discussed issues with revenue sharing. Opelka argued that tennis remains “the ultimate meritocracy” before questioning why organizations connected to the sport continue operating as non-profits.
Players receive what he believes is a too-small share of revenues. Opelka is ranked No. 74 in the world and has also collected ATP Masters 1000 points in Miami, Cincinnati, Canada, Indian Wells, Paris, Madrid, and Shanghai.