Hubert Hurkacz made a remarkable recovery from an injury that doctors said could have kept him away from the tennis courts until the beginning of the 2025 season.
Just a few weeks ago, Novak Djokovic made a miraculous return to the tennis courts after undergoing knee surgery only weeks prior. It was unexpected, as the surgeon who operated on the Serbian had doubts about his readiness for Wimbledon.
Despite this, the 37-year-old competed in London and reached the final. Two weeks later, he won the Olympic Games, which was an incredible accomplishment considering he wasn’t even supposed to play at Wimbledon.
Andy Roddick even speculated that Djokovic might miss all tournaments until the US Open, but less than 20 days later, he was back on the court. That’s the kind of extraordinary comeback it was.
However, Djokovic was not the only one with a similar story. Hurkacz also made a remarkable comeback recently. He underwent knee surgery after sustaining an injury during a match at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships against Arthur Fils.
Yet, here he is in Montreal, competing at the 2024 Canadian Open and emerging victorious. Despite being told he couldn’t participate in the event, Hurkacz won his first match back. In fact, he was informed that he wouldn’t be able to compete until 2025.
Given these circumstances, the Polish player was questioned about the process that allowed him to play at the ATP Masters 1000 event. He briefly discussed his preparations and how he managed to get ready so quickly.
“I will likely collaborate with my physiotherapist. I’m feeling quite well, so I didn’t know what to expect. I haven’t played much tennis, but I spent more time in the gym last week.”
“Yes, I’m extremely grateful for the doctor and, of course, my physiotherapist, Kuba, and my fitness coach, Przemek. Without those two individuals, I would probably be in Asia. So I’m really happy to be here.”
His first match in Canada was a challenging one, as Hurkacz was only slightly favored against Thanasi Kokkinakis. The Australian was performing well and even won the first set, but the Polish player managed to fight back and secure the victory in the third-set tie-break.
This win was of great significance to him, considering he didn’t know what to expect. His performance was consistent and solid, as usual. His serve was effective, and he capitalized on his opportunities.
“Definitely. First and foremost, I’m happy that I was able to compete. The pace wasn’t too slow, so that was good. Hopefully, they (indiscernible). It’s my first match since the surgery, so it was a bit unknown.”
“Tennis is such a wonderful moment. I’m just trying to enjoy it as much as I can. These moments really make you appreciate what you do – seeing the fans and playing tennis again.”
Hurkacz previously made it to the championship match in Canada, so he will undoubtedly have a strong belief in his ability to achieve the same feat once more, despite his remarkable comeback.
Photo from Hubert Hurkacz Instagram
