Hubert Hurkacz was considered a ‘dark horse’ for Wimbledon 2024 before his injury.
The long-limbed, big-serving Hubert Hurkacz was on a superb run on the green stuff in the run-up to Wimbledon 2024.
An agonizing 7-6, 7-6 defeat in the final to doubles partner Jannik Sinner in Halle, looked to be a real statement of intent from Hurkacz who was hoping to improve on his 2021 semi-final appearance at Wimbledon and 2023’s quarter-final defeat to Novak Djokovic.
A handful of audacious diving volleys in the Pole’s second-round match fourth set tie-break against Arthur Fils, left Hurkacz nursing a serious knee injury that saw him withdraw and later receive surgery.
With Hurkacz one of the few active players to have won titles on all three surfaces, his style is perfectly suited to the grass and given his positive history on the surface, was tipped to go far at the championships this year.
The seventh seed was just one of a number of high-profile withdrawals from Wimbledon this year, with player welfare set to be a huge talking point between now and the Olympics.
Will Hubert Hurkacz be fit for the Paris Olympics?
Iga Swiatek leads the Polish pack at the Olympics this year, with the three-time French Open champion excited to return to the Parisian clay after her disappointing run at Wimbledon.
With the prospect of Swiatek and Hurkacz partnering up in the doubles event, as they have successfully done previously at the United Cup, many had tipped them for glory in Paris.
Knee surgery has meant Hurkacz has been sidelined with it being reported that the Pole has pulled out of the ATP 250 event in Gstaad, Switzerland.
Tennis journalist José Morgado has shared the news on X: “Hubert Hurkacz is doubtful for the Olympics, which is not surprising after what we watched at Wimbledon. Very unlucky. For now… he is out of Gstaad next week.”
While players are frequently able to make swift recoveries, as shown by Djokovic’s speedy turnaround from his own knee surgery after the French Open, Hurkacz will certainly be racing against the clock for Paris.
Is the Olympics as prestigious as the Grand Slams in tennis?
Due to the quick transition from clay to grass and then back to clay again, many high-profile players like Ons Jabeur, Emma Raducanu, and Aryna Sabalenka have pulled out of the Olympics.
With the tennis year spanning over 11 months, many players are prioritizing other events, and taking time over the Olympic period to rest, recover, and prepare for the hard-court season.
Alexander Zverev will be hoping to defend his title from Tokyo but can expect a real challenge from Djokovic, with the Olympic gold the only piece of silverware he is truly missing.
Belinda Bencic will however be unable to defend her singles title, having given birth in April this year.
Andy Murray’s double Olympic triumph ranks incredibly close to the top in terms of his career achievements, but with all the withdrawals in mind, one might reasonably deduce that players rank the Summer Games slightly behind the four majors.
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