Hubert Hurkacz is arguably the new star of the sport. Hailing from Poland, Hurkacz won the recently concluded Shanghai Masters and is aiming for a strong finish this season. Turns out Rafael Nadal had already recognized his talent in the past as the Spaniard opted to practice with him ahead of the Australian Open 2023.
Currently ranked 11th in the world, Hurkacz is on the way up. He shares an impressive record with Nadal, with the duo being the only players to serve Roger Federer a bagel set in the 21st century. Hurkacz achieved that in Federer’s last-ever Wimbledon match in 2021.
Rafael Nadal and Hubert Hurkacz’s entertaining practice session
In a now viral video on YouTube, both Hurkacz and Nadal can be seen exchanging some great points and epic rallies. The Pole however managed to beat the Spaniard in their practice match. The Spaniard was defeated by the World No.11 7-6, 7-5 in straight sets. The match was played as part of a four-day exhibition at Melbourne Park prior to the start of the tournament.
Rafael Nadal has a big fan base in Australia and his 2nd round exit would have left the fans disappointed. The Spaniard has since taken a leave from tennis to comeback from an injury and is expected to participate at the Australian Open 2024.
While Hurkacz also had a lackluster run at the Australian Open in 2023 as he was eliminated in the fourth round, battling in 3 five-set matches on the way. The 2024 Australian Open promises to be a big one for him as he is near entering into the top 10 of the ATP rankings.
When Hurkacz picked Federer over Nadal
In an interview in Saudi Arabia in 2022, Hurkacz admitted that he had idolized Federer over Nadal while growing up. Hurkacz took part in the tournament organizers’ “What do you choose?” game ahead of the Diriyah Tennis Cup. One of the questions Hurkacz was asked was to choose between Federer and Nadal and the Pole opted for Federer. This is because Hurkacz idolised the Swiss superstar since his childhood.
Hurkacz has the rare privilege of beating both Federer and Nadal without ever winning a Grand Slam. The Pole got the better of Federer in the Swiss’ last ever Grand Slam match at Wimbledon 2021. Also, he defeated Nadal in the Australian Open warm up match.
