At first glance, Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz doesn’t look like Grand Slam winning material. Indeed, after a solid but unspectacular junior career, consecutive top 50 finishes looked a realistic goal for the Pole, but scaling the higher peaks of the ATP rankings seemed certain to be beyond him. But one three-hour battle at Wimbledon is just the latest evidence for why a serious revision of those goals is needed. Because today, Hurkacz went toe-to-toe with Novak Djokovic, one of the best players to ever hold a tennis racket, giving the world #1 his first real test of the tournament.
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The ability to play well on all surfaces
Prior to this fortnight, Hurkacz didn’t have much by way of grass-court experience. Polish tennis, however, has become famous for the great achievements of its players on this surface, such as Agnieszka Radwańska, Jerzy Janowicz, Łukasz Kubot, despite a lack of grass courts in the country. And last week in Eastbourne, Hurkacz won his first tour-level match on the grass, demonstrating in the process that he has no problem adapting to the conditions. Despite his height, low-skidding balls don’t seem to trouble the Pole.
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Athleticism
While not the best of lateral movers, the Pole makes up for that weakness with impressive athleticism and flexibility. His ability to hit his backhand down-the-line while on the slide, which is reminiscent of the great Serbian’s, is a fantastic shot and proved useful against Djokovic, with one fine example setting up a set point in the second set tie-break. Earlier in the match, the Pole had performed a stunning diving volley, which is becoming something of a trademark of his grass-court game.
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First strike tennis
The booming serve and forehand combination proved difficult for even the mighty Djokovic to contend with. Hurkacz has perfected the art of holding his first groundstroke after his serve, which allows him to catch his opponents off guard. More than once, Djokovic was left flat-footed, watching a forehand race away into the open court for a winner. Hurkacz’s coach, Craig Boynton, also works with Steve Johnson and it looked like he took a page from the American’s playbook today.
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Mental toughness
Hurkacz’s demeanour on the court is exceptionally calm and composed. Although he does have a tendency to play too passively at times, down break point the Pole has repeatedly proved himself willing and able to step up the ante. In his second-round match against Leonardo Mayer, Hurkacz saved six set points in the third set when he suddenly started painting lines. Today, Djokovic converted only four of seventeen break point chances. Being down seems to motivate the young Pole, which is a very important quality for any tennis player.
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A love of the big stage
The level Hurkacz showed today in surely the biggest match of his career so far was, at times, quite astonishing. But it was far from the first time that Hurkacz had delivered under the spotlight. in February and March, Hurkacz first beat top-ten stalwart Kei Nishikori back-to-back in Dubai and Indian Wells, before stunning recent Indian Wells champion Dominic Thiem in the second round at the Miami Open.
That ability to perform on the big stage puts him in good company alongside the likes of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, all of whom excel at lifting their level on the biggest stages when it matters most. Indeed, to thrive in these kinds of matches, under the most intense pressure, and to have that insatiable drive to win really is one of the hallmarks of greatness.
Does this mean Hurkacz will be the next ATP #1?
Probably not. There are still a number of problems Hurkacz needs to address to take his game to the next level. After winning the second set today, the Pole went away mentally, and Djokovic was not slow to take advantage, restoring his advantage in 17 minutes as he raced away with the third set. And whilst the diving volleys are highlight worthy, Hurkacz’s net game is still in need of considerable work. A poor smash cost him the first set and a number of heavy-handed drop shots were gifts that Djokovic eagerly received.
His serve is also still rather one-dimensional, which enabled a returner of Djokovic’s quality to start picking it with regularity, particularly in the third and fourth sets. A number of improvements can be made on the backhand side, especially when it comes to hitting through it. His return of serve is also a real weakness. He lacked the confidence to step in and try and impose himself against Djokovic’s second serve, which though formidable, was afforded too much respect by the Pole.
However, with the amount of talent Hurkacz possesses and the help and experience of a great coach, there is no doubt that he will be one to watch in the year’s to come.
Main photo:
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