After five years with Craig Boynton, Hubert Hurkacz has parted ways with the coach, as Boynton confirmed in an Instagram post.
Hurkacz started working with Boynton back in 2019 when things weren’t going so well for the Polish player. He was 22 years old, so certainly not the youngest, but he also had a low ranking of 88th in the world at that time—far from what he would go on to achieve.
He needed guidance, and he needed someone who could mold him into the great player he had the potential to become. He had always been quite solid but never found his best tennis until he started working with Boynton.
Improvements showed up instantly as he finished 2019 ranked 37th. He had a mixed 2020 campaign, failing to improve much upon his ranking, but it was a bizarre year overall on the ATP Tour because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Things started to improve in 2021 when he won 36 matches, including his maiden ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Miami, and reached the Wimbledon semi-final that year.
His ranking dramatically improved as he finished that year as world number 9, playing at the ATP Finals for the first time in his career. The next three years saw him stabilize as a Top 10 player, even though, at times, he did drop out of the elite ten.
He kept playing at a really solid level, winning trophies and generally looking great. He didn’t, however, take the next step. That could be down to either him hitting his peak or simply not improving as a player.
It’s a tricky question to answer because only Hurkacz knows the true answer to that question. However, he felt it was time to part ways with a coach who helped him develop into that sort of player.
Craig Boynton broke the news, announcing it on social media with a post in which he briefly thanked Hurkacz for the opportunity while recognizing their run over the past five years.
"What a special ride these past 5 years have been. We have experienced so many unbelievable highs and have grown so much together, however, sometimes good things must come to an end."
"Hubi and I have mutually agreed to go our separate ways. So grateful for our time together. I am looking forward to a new chapter in my life and the opportunities that will come."
It's a surprising move in the sense that very few saw it coming. Hurkacz has been decent this year when he did play, posting a 40-17 record so far, winning one trophy in Estoril, and making another final in Halle.
His most recent results haven’t been that great, but he had just returned from knee surgery. Overall, he didn’t have a bad year, but it seems like he felt that he got everything out of his partnership with Boynton. Now, it’s time for something new, and time will tell what that is and with whom as a coach that will be for the Pole.
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