Hubert Hurkacz's knee injury

Hubert Hurkacz is a Polish professional tennis player on the ATP circuit, who achieved a high-ranking of sixth, making him as the highest-rated Polish player in single's history. Born on 11 February 1997 in Wroclaw, Poland, Hurkacz has won eight singles titles, as of December 2024. He ended the 2024 season at No. 16 in the world. Among his biggest titles has been his two Masters-1000 successes - at the 2021 Miami Open and 2023 Shanghai Masters.

Hubert Hurkacz started playing tennis at the age of 5, and turned pro in 2015. At the Grand Slam level, ‘Hubi’ reached the semi-final of Wimbledon in 2021 as well as the Australian Open quarterfinal in 2024. Hurkacz won his first title at the 2019 Winston-Salem Open, and broke into the Top-30 the following year. Hurkacz heads the Polish tennis contingent, alongside Iga Swiatek. A powerful serve plus one specialist, Hubert Hurkacz is an attacking one-two puncher. He has a brilliant first serve, which he backs up with solid ground-strokes or a sound volley. A self-admitted Roger Federer fan, Hurkacz ended the Swiss legend’s illustrious Wimbledon career in 2021. It goes without saying that the 27-year-old will remain a strong contender at all major tournaments in 2025. Hurkacz is coached by Ivan Lendl and Nicolas Massu.

What was Hubert Hurkacz's knee injury?

In July 2024, Hubert Hurkacz was competing in the Wimbledon second round against Arthur Fils. The incident occurred when Hurkacz went diving to hit a volley, and landed awkwardly in the process. Hurkacz managed to get up, but had to retire in the fourth set, as the torn meniscus in his right knee did not allow him to compete any further.

“Right after I knew something happened because it was painful and we needed to figure out how bad it was, and just to get as much information [as we could],” Hubert Hurkacz had revealed to NBC. Unfortunately, the setback forced Hurkacz to withdraw from the 2024 Paris Olympics. “I have always dreamed of representing Poland at the Olympics, being able to win a medal for the national team, but unfortunately, my health does not allow it this year.”

Hubert Hurkacz's return from knee injury

Hubert Hurkacz made his highly anticipated return at the Masters-1000 event in Montreal, Canada, in August 2024. After receiving a bye in Round-1, Hurkacz faced Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis in the Round of 32. He won the thrilling encounter 4-6, 6-3 and 7-6(6). Next, he overcame Arthur Rinderknech in three sets, before falling short vs Alexei Popyrin in the quarterfinal stage.

After the Canadian Masters, Hubert Hurkacz competed in four more tournaments before ending his 2024 season. He retired in the Cincinnati Masters quarterfinal against Frances Tiafoe, before losing in the second round of the US Open. Losses to Jack Draper and Alex Michelson at Tokyo and Paris respectively ended a rather disheartening campaign for the former World No. 6 (one title in 2024).