‘Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz raised the level – but there are more opportunities now’
Hubert Hurkacz is sensing an opportunity to return to the top 10 again.
The 29-year-old reached a career-high of six in the world less than two years ago, but currently, he is 90 places below that.
The Pole has two Masters 1000 titles to his name and boasts thumping wins over Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal towards the tail end of their respective careers.
After a steady rise towards the summit of the men’s game, off the back of many years of hard work and sacrifices, the 6ft 5in player is having to rebuild.
A year ago, Hurkacz had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, where doctors removed an overgrown synovial membrane to help relieve the pain.
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He ended 2025 with a ranking of 73, and after fours years inside the top 20, the former Wimbledon semi-finalist has found it more difficult to clamber up that mountain again.
But at a time when seven-time major winner Carlos Alcaraz is out injured, Novak Djokovic is approaching 40, and Felix Auger-Aliassime and Ben Shelton are the third and fourth seeds at Wimbledon respectively, Hurkacz senses a window of opportunity.
When asked if he believes he can return to the heights he once scaled, Hurkacz told Tennis365, “Yes, of course, you know, that’s why I wake up every day, that’s why I put in the work. I think the game may not have changed as much, apart from Jannik and Carlos, who raised the level.
“I think there are more opportunities now at this point. The players are not as consistent as maybe a few years ago. That’s why maybe the top 20 is very, very strong and anyone, you know, can have a big run at any point.”
Alexander Zverev was able to cash in on that opportunity, after overwhelming favourite Jannik Sinner and 24-time major winner Djokovic lost early in Paris, as he faced just one top 10 seed on his way to a maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros this month.
Hurkacz – who is now coached by Daniil Medvedev’s former mentor Gilles Cervara – has a long way to go before he can be in contention for the biggest tournaments, as he is 10-13 on the year.
Indeed, the Polish star has only reached the quarter-final stage at a major on two occasions but he is remaining positive.
And at a time when a host of top stars have withdrawn from Wimbledon due to injury, players further down the rankings have to play as much as possible to accumulate as many points as they can.
He added, “I think also grass is a difficult surface in general, but now, of course, it’s very, very busy and you don’t really have any other choice than to play all the weeks because if you don’t, the others are going to play and if you’re not in the top three of the rankings, you don’t have this comfort to choose.”
Hurkacz will hope he can have a big run of his own when SW19 starts on Monday. The unseeded Pole takes on 11th seed and clay court specialist Casper Ruud in round one, a player who famously quipped that “grass is for golf players”.
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