Hubert Hurkacz was forced to retire from the China Open final in Beijing against Alex de Minaur after suffering a groin injury during the second set of their championship match.
The 29-year-old Polish tennis star dropped the opening set 6-4 to Australia's De Minaur after being broken twice, before trailing 2-3 in the second set when the physical discomfort prevented him from continuing.
Hurkacz had been managing physical issues since his quarterfinal victory over Karen Khachanov the previous day. An official statement issued by his team confirmed that the player suffered a thigh muscle strain during the tournament.
According to a report by journalist Piotr Wieclawek for Sport.pl, Hurkacz had requested a medical timeout during his quarterfinal against Khachanov. However, he did not call for the physiotherapist during the final against De Minaur, attempting to continue playing before deciding to retire at 2-3 down in the second set.
In statements reported by tennis account Z Kortu on social media platform X, Hurkacz confirmed that he first felt pain in his adductor during Sunday's match against Khachanov. Although he completed that match playing well, he was unable to recover fully in time for the final against De Minaur and experienced problems from the start of the match.
Injury interrupts impressive Asian hard court swing
The withdrawal in Beijing interrupted a strong run of form for the Polish player during the ATP Tour's Asian swing. On his path to the final in Beijing, an ATP 500 event held in the Chinese capital, Hurkacz earned consecutive victories over Learner Tien, Arthur Gea, and Khachanov.
That strong campaign in Beijing followed another successful tournament appearance in Chengdu, China, where Hurkacz also reached the final before finishing as runner-up to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain. Hurkacz, who was born in Wroclaw, stands as Poland's top-ranked male tennis player and a prominent competitor on the global professional circuit.
Reflecting on his overall performance across the Asian tournaments, Hurkacz said he saw clear progress in his tennis despite the disappointing end to his Beijing campaign. He noted that while certain aspects of his game still required work, he was pleased with his improved play and remained eager to build on the positive momentum through the remainder of the season.
Shanghai Masters defense and prospective Novak Djokovic clash
Hurkacz is now focusing on his recovery as he prepares for the upcoming Shanghai Masters tournament. The Polish player emphasized that he has no desire to miss the Shanghai event for a third consecutive year, confirming that his team would do everything possible to get him physically ready to compete.
Should Hurkacz be fit to play in Shanghai, he is scheduled to open his campaign against Australia's James Duckworth, who is currently ranked 63rd in the ATP world rankings. The winner of that first round encounter is set to advance to a second round match against Serbian star Novak Djokovic.
Hurkacz holds fond memories of the Shanghai event, having won the tournament title on his most recent appearance there. In that final, he secured victory over Russia's Andrey Rublev, winning 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(8) to claim the trophy.
