U.S. Open tennis live updates: Reilly Opelka fined $10,000 for unapproved bag

Reilly Opelka is guaranteed to leave the U.S. Open with $265,000 for reaching the round of 16, and the No. 22 seed will earn more if he defeats unseeded Lloyd Harris on Monday. But part of Opelka’s prize money will go toward paying a $10,000 fine he was assessed for walking out to the court for his match against Nikoloz Basilashvili on Saturday carrying a bag with a logo that Grand Slam rules deemed was too big.

Opelka, a Michigan native who lives in Delray Beach, Fla., and is ranked No. 24 in the world, toted a pink bag with a logo that reads, “Tim Van Laere Gallery.” According to its website, the gallery is in Antwerp, Belgium, and showcases established and emerging contemporary artists.

According to the arcane rules that govern players’ display of sponsor logos, the type size of the words on the bag were too big and Opelka was fined under section C of the Grand Slam code. He took to Twitter to publicize the bizarre punishment.

“US Open ticket sales must be struggling this year. 10K for a pink bag, at least it looked fly,” he said on Twitter, adding a couple of emojis and the hashtag #corporate.

During a news conference Saturday he called the fine “a bit harsh, a bit excessive.” He added, “My job is not to measure logos. It is just not. My job is to win matches. I have bigger things to worry about. For the referee to tell me it’s my job to measure a logo, no, clearly not. It’s his job. I’m trying to beat Basilashvili and make the round of 16 of a Grand Slam.

“Our prize money has been decreased for over a year and a half now but our fines have been increased. I don’t want to point fingers out on other players, not trying to throw anyone under the bus. But there has been people that have gotten away with a lot worse with a lot less of a fine.

“You want to take away our prize money the whole time? I guess they’re making up for lost ticket sales last year, I guess. I’d love to see it get donated elsewhere. We’ve had a few tragedies here in the States the last couple weeks. If they are going to take 10K from me, it better not go to a major corporation. That’s my thought.”

The U.S. Tennis Assn. publishes a list of fines incurred at the Open for infractions such as racquet abuse, uttering audible obscenities, receiving coaching, and unsportsmanlike conduct. Opelka’s fine is the largest issued so far. Twenty male players have been fined and four female players have been fined.

Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick suggested that the gallery capitalize on the worldwide exposure Opelka had provided. “The press stories the big guy is getting for this company through his $10K fine is totally worth it,” Roddick said on Twitter. “If I’m the company, I pay the fine for him, and have him take the bag back out again for the next match.”

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Opelka was one of four Americans left in the singles draw as fourth-round play begins. The others are Frances Tiafoe — who was scheduled to face Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada later Sunday — Jenson Brooksby of Sacramento and Shelby Rogers, who upset women’s No. 1 Ash Barty on Saturday night. Brooksby, 20, is the youngest American to reach the Round of 16 since Roddick did so in 2002 at age 20.

American Jack Sock’s bid to reach the fourth round ended late Saturday when a leg injury forced him to retire from his match against No. 4 Alexander Zverev of Germany. Zverev advanced, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 2-1 (retired).

“Jack I think played the best set of tennis I’ve ever seen him play. I did one unforced error in the whole set and I lost it 6-3 without having really any chances,” Zverev said. “If he would have kept it up I probably would not have won the match…. When he gets injured, it’s a shame because otherwise it would have been an incredible match, I think.”