Hubert Hurkacz joins top seed Jannik Sinner as the second top 10 male player to withdraw from Paris.
It was Hubert Hurkacz’s heroics that ended up causing his knee injury and subsequent retirement at Wimbledon as he leapt for multiple volleys in the fourth set against Arthur Fils.
The towering Pole was hotly tipped for a deep Wimbledon run with his huge serve and smart net play suiting the surface perfectly.
It was planned for Hurkacz to partner compatriot and clay court expert Iga Swiatek in the Olympic mixed-doubles, but his withdrawal two days ago firmly dashed those hopes.
Despite undergoing surgery, his Olympic absence is unfortunately not just the precautionary decision many would have hoped for, with Hurkacz joining a growing list of Olympic absentees.
Hubert Hurkacz reveals when he might return to the ATP tour
Injuries and illnesses have plagued the Olympic field, with many high-profile WTA stars such as Emma Raducanu and Aryna Sabalenka even deciding to miss the games out of choice.
The world number seven issued an injury update ahead of Paris, telling Eurosport: “We fought for the Olympics… it didn’t work out. I couldn’t play in Paris, it would have been dangerous.
“Right after the injury, I talked to the doctors and eight out of ten said that realistically I could only play in Australia.”
It will come as devastating news to Hurkacz if he is to miss the remainder of the 2024 season, despite his relatively poor form at the US Open.
The news for Polish tennis fans is equally heartbreaking, with Hurkacz one of his nation’s key medal hopefuls as they look to build on their record haul from Tokyo.
How had Hubert Hurkacz been playing prior to his injury?
It had been a successful year for Hurkacz prior to his injury with his fourth round appearance at the French Open equalling his best ever showing at the tournament yet.
He also picked up the title at the Estoril Open in April, only dropping one set during his winning run.
The joy on clay was followed up by a superb run on the grass in Halle with a win over reigning Olympic champion Alexander Zverev coming before a narrow defeat to Jannik Sinner in the final 7-6, 7-6.
Some doubles success came the Pole’s way too, with his partnership with Swiatek guiding the nation to the final of the United Cup in January, which they eventually lost to Germany.
The world number seven is still sitting at a career high position in the ATP rankings, but with this big career knock, his swift recovery is ultimately the most important thing.
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