Hurkacz Stuns Zverev in Triumphant Return
Seven months after knee surgery, Hubert Hurkacz turns the Sydney hardcourts into his stage, outmaneuvering Alexander Zverev in a United Cup clash that pulses with redemption and precision.
Hubert Hurkacz stepped into Ken Rosewall Arena carrying the scars of seven absent months, his right knee tested by arthroscopic surgery on July 2. The Polish star, now 28, faced World No. 3 Alexander Zverev with his ranking dipped to No. 83 after a last match in June’s ‘s-Hertogenbosch. In a 6-3, 6-4 victory that handed Team Poland a 1-0 lead over Germany at the United Cup 2026, Hurkacz proved his game had sharpened in silence, serving with bite and redirecting power into winners.
Absence forges sharper edges
The injury had stripped Hurkacz of rhythm, forcing him to rebuild through endless drills where every lateral step tested his resolve. Yet on Sydney’s medium-paced hardcourts, he moved fluidly, his flat serves skidding low to pin Zverev deep and open angles for inside-out forehands. Facing just one break point over one hour and 23 minutes, he absorbed the German’s heavy topspin, turning potential pressure into crosscourt counters that kept rallies short and controlled.
Zverev arrived with a 3-1 head-to-head edge, his Sunday dominance over Tallon Griekspoor still echoing in booming serves that had dismantled the Dutchman. But Hurkacz disrupted that pattern, dipping low on returns with slice replies to neutralize the kick serve and jam Zverev’s backhand. The former World No. 6, a two-time Nitto ATP Finals competitor, held firm, his second serves slicing wide to force errors and reclaim court ownership.
Break point breaks the tension
At 3-3 in the second set, the match teetered as Zverev probed with deep returns and angled underspin, seeking the discomfort he inflicted on Griekspoor. Hurkacz stepped inside the baseline, whipping a backhand down the line for the decisive break that shifted momentum like a sudden gust across the arena. That shot, clean and instinctive, released the pent-up energy of his comeback, with the crowd’s roar amplifying his surge to the finish.
The victory exposed Zverev’s struggle to adapt, his deeper groundstrokes bouncing higher on the surface and leading to overhitting under Hurkacz’s precise redirects. Poland’s momentum now rides on Iga Swiatek’s matchup against Eva Lys, but Hurkacz’s poise hints at a reloaded campaign. As the Australian Open nears in two weeks, this upset positions him to climb rankings swiftly, his knee resilient and his fire reignited for the majors ahead.
