Sports can be cruel sometimes, as a player’s success is often overshadowed by disappointment. Tomas Machac was dealt a crushing blow at the Paris Masters 2024, retiring hurt from his first-round match against Arthur Rinderknech.
Machac had won the first set in a tiebreaker but was struggling in the second set, going down 3-5. He declared a walkover due to an apparent relapse of his Achilles heel, a calf injury. The Czech star was seen clutching his calf, which he had injured along with his leg, at the Davis Cup 2024.
The reigning Olympic doubles champion failed to beat Carlos Alcaraz and Alexei Popyrin in his singles clash in September. Machac, however, impressively recovered within two weeks to hit back against Popyrin at the Tokyo Open in the first round. He followed that up with a magnificent performance against Alcaraz at the Shanghai Masters, defeating him in the quarterfinals.
This recent setback in Paris, though, could be worrying for the 24-year-old. With the season coming to an end, he could use the time off to treat his injury, which could otherwise become serious.
Tough luck
Machac retires due to injury, sending Rinderknech through, 6-7 5-3 RET at #RolexParisMasters
Get better soon, Tomas pic.twitter.com/Iv1mZSDRb4
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 28, 2024
Machac would be targeting a return in the Australian summer at the start of next year, with the United Cup, Brisbane International and the Australian Open being the main events. If he looks back at the 2024 season, he could boast about galvanizing Czech tennis after his mentor, Tomas Berdych.
Machac stole the spotlight in the 2024 season four times
Machac combined with his alleged former lover, Katerina Siniakova to win the mixed doubles gold medal for Czechia at the Olympics 2024 in Paris. It opened many doors for the 25th ranked player in men’s singles as it helped him bag a sponsorship deal with Ben Crump.
Crump is the same attorney who has had clients such as George Floyd, Trayvon Martin and Breonna Taylor, being at the forefront of the Black Lives Matter movement in the start of the 2020s. The deal was for the US Open 2024 and it was a marketing masterstroke from Crump. Not only did Machac make it to the Round of 16, but also played American hopeful Sebastian Korda in the second round in front of a packed house at the Louis Armstrong Stadium at prime time on August 29.
The third instance of Machac going viral on social media was when he responded to Alcaraz after defeating him in Shanghai. When the Spaniard congratulated him on Instagram, the rising Czechia star came up with a hilarious reply,
“Thank you, Sorry for my level today.”
Machac’s sense of humor and wit came to the fore even on the court during the following match against Sinner, when Roger Federer was in the stands watching them. When Sinner was getting ready to serve, a fan from the crowd screamed, “We love you, Federer.”
While the Italian didn’t mind much, Machac was a bit disappointed. He quickly asked the fan, “What about me?” His lighthearted moment had the entire crowd, including Federer, bursting into laughter. Even Sinner couldn’t help but smile.
These qualities could take Machac to stardom if he can bag more endorsements and perform better in the 2025 season. Is he the new breakout men’s star? Well, there are younger contenders but he has all the ingredients to become a horse for the longer race.
