Eager for a long-awaited change in fortunes among the elite, Australian Open quarterfinalist Hubert Hurkacz announced he’d be adding eight-time Major champion Ivan Lendl and Olympic gold medallist Nicolas Massu to his coaching team for 2025. Following another second-round exit at Flushing Meadows in August, he parted ways with Craig Boynton after their five-year partnership.
Hurkacz honoured to have esteemed company in his corner
Hubert Hurkacz’s 2024 season
40-19 win/loss record (67%) in singles play
Estoril (ATP250) title, Australian Open QFs — Halle (ATP500) finalist, lost to Sinner
Missed Paris Olympics after suffering torn meniscus at Wimbledon in R2
Finished season outside world’s top 10 for first time since 2020 [16]
THE unpredictability of tennis is part of its allure, why we love it so. Hubert Hurkacz barely had time to bask in achievement that came when he reached a career-high world no. 6 ranking in August, considering the proud Poland international would then lose early at consecutive Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati.
Trailing by a set to eventual runner-up Frances Tiafoe, he withdrew with a calf complaint knowing an even bigger event was barely ten days away. Yet the four-year tournament hoodoo that seemingly had him destined for a second-round exit reared its ugly head once more, leaking errors aplenty against a grateful Jordan Thompson.
58% first serve percentage, 34 unforced errors – double the Australian’s tally – winning just 56% (19/34) of net points, how could he realistically expect to successfully navigate a best-of-five set match against a top-50 player with those numbers? Instead, this sobering loss served as the catalyst for a change of scenery.
Hurkacz parted ways with longtime coach Craig Boynton after five years together, far from an an easy decision, before the 27-year-old’s continued struggles saw him finish the season with disappointing straight-set defeats in Tokyo (Jack Draper) and Paris (Alex Michelsen) where more of the same uncomfortable tendencies surfaced.
But alas, there’s renewed hope before the new calendar year begins. He announced on social media last week that two experienced champions and esteemed coaches will accompany him along the journey, looking to break out in the way agemates Alexander Zverev and more recently US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz have managed.
Lendl has a notable link to now-retired former world no. 1 Andy Murray, having coached the Brit during multiple Major title victories, while 2004 Olympic champion Massu was in Dominic Thiem’s corner during the Austrian’s surprise run to the 2020 US Open title before serious wrist injuries forced him into an early retirement.
In a statement to the ATP website, the Wroclaw-born talent said: “Having Nicolas and Ivan as part of my team is an honour, their knowledge and dedication inspire me to work harder than ever – I’m ready to put in the hard work.”
Perhaps more importantly, Hurkacz declared himself fully healthy after a year where niggling injuries came at the wrong time, while it goes without saying that the weapon which has served him so well – no pun intended – cannot be his only calling card when things get difficult against the world’s very best. They can sense that.
Picture source: Getty Images
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