Hubert Hurkacz was supposed to continue his 2024 season at the Chengdu Open, but the Polish player withdrew from the ATP 250 event.
Hurkacz hasn’t been much in the headlines lately, and while that isn’t unusual for him, this time, it was mostly because of an injury. There was a month of inactivity for the Polish player between Wimbledon and the Canadian Open, and the reason was a knee injury that required surgical intervention.
He suffered the same injury that Novak Djokovic had and required the same type of surgery. Just like Djokovic, the Polish player recovered in record time to play at the Canadian Open, the Cincinnati Open, and the US Open after that.
However, he didn’t play his best, as it was clear that he was far from his peak. It might take weeks, similar to how it took Djokovic weeks to find his best form. It was a positive development, though, as the Polish player was initially given bad news about the injury.
He was told that he wouldn’t see the court until 2025, which was disheartening as he was having a solid season. Even though his recent outings haven’t looked that great, he still had an excellent season.
Highlights include the quarter-final of the Australian Open, a trophy in Estoril, a quarter-final in Rome, a fourth round at the French Open, and a final at the ATP 500 tournament in Halle.
Getting his season cut short due to a knee injury and being told he wouldn't be seeing the court for months is the last thing he wanted to hear. Luckily, the surgery was a success, and Hurkacz was able to make it back in record time.
What remains to be seen is whether he’s truly 100% fit. Missing the Olympics was hugely painful for Hurkacz as he had plans to play both singles and mixed doubles with Iga Swiatek.
That didn’t happen because of the injury, but he did play in New York. His level was relatively competitive, but he wasn't overwhelmingly comfortable, so there is a good chance that he simply needs more time.
To buy that time, Hurkacz opted against playing the first of the upcoming Chinese events. He had a strong showing in Shanghai last year, winning the ATP Masters 1000 tournament by beating Andrey Rublev in the final, so he might prefer to take a week to better prepare for that event.
While Hurkacz didn’t announce any reason for the withdrawal, the tournament organizers provided a statement, clarifying that it was the knee injury that was still bothering the Polish player.
"World No.8 Hubert Hurkacz has been forced to withdraw from the 2024 Chengdu Open due to ongoing leg issues. We wish Hubi a speedy recovery and welcome Olympic bronze medallist Lorenzo Musetti as our new number one seed."
Up next, Hurkacz will be hoping to compete at the Japan Open in Tokyo.
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