Polish star Hubert Hurkacz claimed success over the weekend at the Estoril Open, beating Pedro Martinez of Spain in the final in straight sets. Now, he will be eyeing some of the bigger tournaments where he’d relish the chance to go deep.
The 27-year-old is currently the world number eight. It’s the highest position he’s held in the world rankings and has been there on a couple of occasions.
In the Grand Slam events, Hurkacz has been pushing hard. He reached the semi-final of Wimbledon in 2021 – his best performance in a major – and has also been to the quarters at the Australian Open in January.
Following his latest success at the Estoril Open, he’s received some praise from Andy Roddick. He believes he’s done something pretty special and deserves some praise for his efforts in recent weeks.
What Andy Roddick has said about Hubert Hurkacz
Well, it would appear as though the former USA star is a big fan of the Polish player – and believes that he deserves a little bit more respect.
Winning a title on clay prior to Roland Garros getting underway is a pretty big thing and perhaps he can be dangerous for the top players at the next major.
Hurkacz will now have the confidence to play against better opponents at the Monte Carlo Masters which is now underway.
The player has already come through a tough match with Jack Draper and will meet Roberto Bautista Agut in the last 32 of the event.
Roddick thinks that Hurkacz can be a dangerous player on clay, believing that he has the skills to trouble anyone.
He told the Served with Andy Roddick Podcast: “He doesn’t get talked about enough. Hubert is always kind of there, the top 15, the top 10, and he’s now squeezed into the top eight.
“He’s got one of the biggest serves on tour and everything he does kind of transforms nicely onto clay. It’s always nice when you can win on a different surface.”
Hurkacz needs to prove himself against better players
Reaching a semi-final is one thing but Hurkacz needs to now push on and start claiming some big scalps if he’s to claim a maiden Grand Slam.
At 27, he does have some time on his side and hopefully, he can go deep at Roland Garros when it gets underway next month.
Hurkacz will take a lot of heart and encouragement from the Estoril Open win but he will know that the tournament is somewhat small fry.
Now, the real stuff has started again in Monte Carlo and he will hope to showcase what he can do against the world’s best players.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
