Latest news with #HubertHurkacz
Times
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Times
Lucky losers hit Wimbledon's £99,000 jackpot after late call-ups
It is not all about the winners at Wimbledon. The star names will duly cement reputations and frame victories in a historic gilt, but down among the near-unknowns the lucky losers play out broad-screen supporting dramas. For Solana Sierra, an Argentinian fighting her way up sport's slippery rungs, the £99,000 she guaranteed herself via the win of her life was nice, but the thrill, emotion and hug-with-mum were worth more. The tennis lucky loser is a curious concept that provides a new raft of challenges for any player. Four days earlier Sierra squandered a match point in the final round of Wimbledon qualifying at Roehampton and so did not know if she would be required this week. She could have played elsewhere for guaranteed money but instead rolled the dice and found a new apartment. On Monday morning a group of players who lost in that final round at Roehampton turned up to sign in half an hour before the start of play. A random draw of the highest-ranked players, rather than a simple order by rank, determined who would be first in if somebody withdrew. That has been the system for 20 years since Justin Gimelstob retired after one game of final qualifying, knowing his ranking would get him into Wimbledon. Don't stray too far, though, because men have to be available within five minutes of receiving the call; women get an extra ten minutes. First in over the weekend was Dusan Lajovic, the world No118, who replaced the creaking Pole Hubert Hurkacz, only to bow out quickly to Billy Harris, a Manxman who spent three years cutting costs by travelling around Europe in a Transit van. The perspective is clearly different down here but hopes remain high. Sierra, 21, is a rising star, the world No101, a student at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca and runner-up at the junior French Open in 2022. As it happens, she lost at Roland Garros a year earlier to Robin Montgomery, who was another lucky loser here. So what do you do knowing you may have to hang around all day, even into Tuesday, waiting, hoping, half-wishing ill on others? Sierra said she arrived at 9.30am, signed in and then went to practise. 'We thought it was best to train and not to watch matches or spend too much time sitting,' she said. 'I trained with Victoria Mboko [a lucky loser from Canada] and we were encouraging each other, telling each other that we'd get in. Then at 12pm I got a call and I was really happy, but it's not a nice feeling because someone has had to withdraw.' Professional sportspeople are often slaves to routine and detail, so the idea of getting a call at any time to play an opponent you have not considered is difficult. For Sierra, the opponent was Olivia Gadecki, a Queenslander who made the third round of the Australian Open this year. 'I played her last year in Roland Garros [qualifying] so I knew her game a little bit.' Watched by her mother, Marta, who has been staying with her since she joined the Nadal Academy in March, Sierra started well. She had three match points in the second set before Gadecki responded and took it to a tie-break. And that might have pricked at nerves because she also had a match point to win her final qualifying match and avoid all the angst of waiting. 'I was frustrated and angry when I lost those points,' she said. 'I was emotional at the end because it's the biggest day I've had but also because I was so close in qualis. I love to sleep but I couldn't on Thursday. I was a bit depressed. We've had to change apartment three times. I just wanted one more chance.' Still, she made it, winning 6-2, 7-6. In the women's game lucky losers have made the round of 16 of every women's grand-slam tournament other than Wimbledon. It is a rarity, though, and Eva Lys's feats at this year's Australian Open made her only the second in three decades. 'An insane story,' was how she described taking the call on a physio's table and rebooking her flight. For what it's worth, she made a third of her career earnings that week. However, in terms of 'insane' stories, the tale of Stefan Kozlov takes some beating. Having failed to qualify for the 2022 Mexican Open, the Macedonian-born American went jet-skiing, crashed and spent a nervous half-hour marooned on rocks before being rescued. He then went to hit balls with Nadal, only to get a message telling him to get to the stadium because Maxime Cressy had withdrawn. With his kit in the laundry, he borrowed clothes, dashed to the venue and, despite chronic cramping, beat Grigor Dimitrov in a marathon. His reward was a thrashing from Nadal. Sierra was not the only loser to win on opening day. Chile's Cristian Garín did likewise. He made the last eight in 2022 but was embroiled in controversy at the Davis Cup in February. On that occasion an exuberant Belgian celebration prompted Garín to crash to the floor after receiving a shoulder to the face. He refused to play on and ultimately defaulted the match-winning game. From sore loser to fortunate winner, the rollercoaster of emotions was rattling bolts and bones in the shadow of the show courts on day one. Like the song says, even the losers get lucky sometimes, but as Marta, the mother of Sierra, added: 'It's very stressful.'
News18
28-06-2025
- Sport
- News18
Injured Hubert Hurkacz Withdraws From Wimbledon; Cites Setback During Recovery
Last Updated: Hurkacz, 28, underwent surgery after tearing the meniscus in his right knee in a second-round match at Wimbledon last year. Poland's Hubert Hurkacz announced his withdrawal from Wimbledon on Friday, citing a setback during his recovery from surgery. World no. 6 Hurkacz has not played since he withdrew from the Libema Open earlier this month due to a lower back injury, with the tournament's fifth seed forced to take two medical timeouts in a first-round victory before he withdrew. Hurkacz also underwent meniscus surgery on his right knee after retiring from his second-round match at Wimbledon last year, where he was the seventh seed, forcing him to skip the Olympics as well. — Hubert Hurkacz (@HubertHurkacz) June 27, 2025 'Over the past few weeks, you've seen me on court through both the highs and the more challenging moments. Unfortunately, today I have to share some difficult news," Hurkacz said in a statement. 'After careful consideration and consultation with my team, we have made the decision to withdraw from this year's Wimbledon. 'During preparations, my body reacted – synovial membrane irritation – which is part of the recovery process from my surgery. It needs rest and treatment, and I need to listen to my body." Hurkacz, 28, underwent surgery after tearing the meniscus in his right knee in a second-round match at Wimbledon last year. He is 15-11 this season but has not played since withdrawing from the Libema Open earlier this month due to a lower back injury. Hurkacz has won eight singles titles on the ATP Tour and is still looking for his first Grand Slam win. He reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2021. 'It is not easy to step away from such a prestigious tournament," Hurkacz said. 'But I know this is the right decision for my long-term health and performance." The Wimbledon draw was made earlier on Friday, and Hurkacz was set to play Briton Billy Harris in the first round of the grasscourt Grand Slam, which begins on Monday.
UPI
27-06-2025
- Sport
- UPI
Hubert Hurkacz withdraws from Wimbledon, cites knee issue
Hubert Hurkacz of Poland cited a knee joint issue as his reason with withdrawing from Wimbledon 2025. File Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI | License Photo June 27 (UPI) -- No. 39 Hubert Hurkacz of Poland has withdrawn from Wimbledon 2025 due to knee irritation, he announced Friday. "Over the past few weeks, you've seen me on court through both the highs and the more challenging moments," Hurkacz said. "Unfortunately, today I have to share some difficult news. After careful consideration and consultation with my team, we have made the decision to withdraw from this year's Wimbledon. "During my preparations, my body reacted with irritation of the synovial membrane. This is a part of the ongoing recovery process following my recent surgery and requires rest and appropriate treatment." Hurkacz tore the meniscus in his right knee last year at Wimbledon. He also withdrew from the Libema Open earlier this month due to a back injury. "It is not easy to step away from such a prestigious tournament," Hurkacz said. "But I know this is the right decision for my long-term health and performance." Hurkacz was on track to face No. 142 Billy Harris of Great Britain in the first round of Wimbledon 2025. He was replaced by No. 585 Dusan Obradovic of Serbia in the men's singles draw.
The Star
27-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Tennis-Injured Hurkacz withdraws from Wimbledon
FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 15, 2025 Poland's Hubert Hurkacz in action during his quarter final match against Tommy Paul of the U.S. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel (Reuters) -Poland's Hubert Hurkacz has been forced to withdraw from Wimbledon after failing to recover from surgery, the former world number six said on Friday. Hurkacz has not played since he withdrew from the Libema Open earlier this month due to a lower back injury, with the tournament's fifth seed forced to take two medical timeouts in a first-round victory before he withdrew. Hurkacz also underwent meniscus surgery on his right knee after retiring from his second-round match at Wimbledon last year, where he was the seventh seed, forcing him to skip the Olympics as well. "Together with my team, I've made the decision to withdraw from this year's Wimbledon," Hurkacz said in a statement. "During preparations, my body reacted – synovial membrane irritation – which is part of the recovery process from my surgery. It needs rest and treatment, and I need to listen to my body." The Wimbledon draw was made earlier on Friday and Hurkacz was set to play Briton Billy Harris in the first round of the grasscourt Grand Slam, which begins on Monday. (Reporting by Rohith Nair in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis)
The Sun
27-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Injured Hurkacz withdraws from Wimbledon
POLAND'S Hubert Hurkacz has been forced to withdraw from Wimbledon after failing to recover from surgery, the former world number six said on Friday. Hurkacz has not played since he withdrew from the Libema Open earlier this month due to a lower back injury, with the tournament's fifth seed forced to take two medical timeouts in a first-round victory before he withdrew. Hurkacz also underwent meniscus surgery on his right knee after retiring from his second-round match at Wimbledon last year, where he was the seventh seed, forcing him to skip the Olympics as well. "Together with my team, I've made the decision to withdraw from this year's Wimbledon," Hurkacz said in a statement. "During preparations, my body reacted – synovial membrane irritation – which is part of the recovery process from my surgery. It needs rest and treatment, and I need to listen to my body." The Wimbledon draw was made earlier on Friday and Hurkacz was set to play Briton Billy Harris in the first round of the grasscourt Grand Slam, which begins on Monday.
