Sweeny’s Towering Hug Steals Brisbane Spotlight
In a season opener thick with new-year pressure, Dane Sweeny’s chair-assisted embrace with Reilly Opelka turned a straight-sets defeat into a reminder that tennis thrives on unexpected joy.
Under the Queensland humidity at the Brisbane International presented by ANZ, Dane Sweeny confronted a physical mismatch against Reilly Opelka. The American’s serve, often topping 130 mph, carved through the Australian’s defenses in a 6-3, 7-5 ATP 250 victory. But the real story unfolded at the net, where the 5’7“ Sweeny snatched a courtside chair to close the 16-inch height divide for a heartfelt hug.
Opelka’s booming deliveries forced Sweeny into stretched crosscourt rallies, his heavy topspin forehands pinning the shorter player deep. Sweeny countered with quick footwork and occasional down-the-line backhands, but the power gap proved too wide on the outdoor hard courts. The crowd at Pat Rafter Arena sensed the shift when Sweeny, undeterred by the loss, turned the post-match ritual into pure theater.
”I’m just trying to not be overly serious with my tennis,“ Sweeny told ATPTour.com. ”And I told the boys, my friends, that at the end of the match, I would do the Dudi Sela. Dudi Sela did it to Ivo Karlovic a while ago. So I thought that was pretty iconic and he’s 16 inches taller and I thought it’d be pretty funny.“
Channeling Sela’s playful defiance
Sweeny’s tribute harked back to 2014 in Bogota, where Sela climbed for an embrace after his sixth straight loss to the towering Karlovic. That moment, born from repeated frustration, became a fan favorite for its raw humanity amid the grind. Here in Brisbane, Sweeny recast his own early stumble—after a promising 2025—into a viral spark, the arena’s laughter cutting through the competitive edge.
On court, Opelka‘s 1–2 pattern dominated: a kick serve wide followed by an inside-out forehand that exploited Sweeny’s lower reach. Sweeny mixed in underspin returns to neutralize the bounce, buying time for counterpunches, but the American’s net play sealed the sets. Off it, this gesture hinted at a broader strategy, one that prioritizes mental lightness over brooding defeats.
Light touch amid hardcourt pressure
”I think it’s emblematic of the mindset I’m trying to take into this year,“ Sweeny said. ”I’m just trying to have fun with it as a whole.“ As the Australian swing ramps up toward Adelaide and the Open, such playfulness could buffer the ranking climbs ahead, where every match tests resilience on slick surfaces.
Opelka, grinning through the hug, embodied the tour’s camaraderie, his return from injury bolstered by the win. For Sweeny, ranked around 108 entering 2026, the encounter sharpens focus on serve returns and baseline speed against giants. This Brisbane opener, more than a loss, sets a tone: elevation in tennis comes from adaptability, not just stature, fueling deeper runs down under.
