Challenger
Inside Hurkacz’s tireless comeback after he ‘couldn’t move’
The 29-year-old is competing at this week’s Cap Cana Challenger
March 12, 2026
MercaFilms
Hubert Hurkacz signs autographs at this week’s Cap Cana Challenger in the Dominican Republic.
By Grant Thompson
The quiet, repetitive grind that happens far from the spotlight is the part of a comeback from injury that many people never see.
For Hubert Hurkacz, returning from knee surgery demanded an unforgiving routine, including more than a month of 10-to-12-hour days devoted to rehab, fitness and recovery.
The 29-year-old underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery in July and upon returning to the Tour at the start of this year, Hurkacz has been seeking his best form. If Hurkacz’s hard work during rehab is any indication, his return to top shape is not a question of if, but when.
“It was a period where the routine was quite intense throughout many months, until mid-November,” Hurkacz told ATPTour.com at the ATP Challenger 175 event in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic. “We started practice around 8:30, 9 doing some fitness and tennis after. We didn’t play too much tennis, maybe one-and-a-half or two hours, then an ice bath after that. A little bit of stretching, that was until around 1.
“Then we were in the clinic for probably five hours on average, and then some yoga, stretching, eating some food, some mental work, visualisations. That’s how my week looked from Monday through Saturday.”
Competing this week at the Republica Dominicana Open – Copa Cap Cana, Hurkacz’s first ATP Challenger appearance since 2019, the Pole’s physical workload was only part of the challenge. There was also a mental battle. Hurkacz had to patiently wait for progress.
“For a few months you didn’t see the improvement even though you’re putting in so much work,” Hurkacz said. “There’s some moments when the doubt creeps in and you don’t even know if you’re ever going to be able to come back and compete.
“That was challenging, but I think my mindset helps me a lot in those situations because I can work very hard and I don’t need much rest. There are some times when you’re hoping for bigger improvement. I wake up positive and hopeful, and then you go on court and try to do the things, but it’s definitely not there — you’re barely moving and you feel pain. You come the next day and the day after and it’s similar, so you check if you’re really doing the right things or if you just need to be more patient.”
The former World No. 6 described his recovery period as “quite busy”, though he still carved out time for a holiday in Croatia. In the early stages, Hurkacz’s work included pool exercises.
“I couldn’t play any tennis, I couldn’t move almost at all,” Hurkacz said. “Depending on the period, there were different activities that we were doing.”
Hurkacz returned to the Tour at the United Cup in memorable fashion, spearheading Poland’s title run at the mixed teams event. He won four of his five singles matches that week, including two Top 10 victories over Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz.
Before Hurkacz’s days as a household name in professional tennis, he was building his foundation on the ATP Challenger circuit, collecting milestones that would help launch his rise. Hurkacz claimed three ATP Challenger trophies from 2018-19.
“Winning my first Challenger title in Poland, in Poznan, that’s a super cool memory,” Hurkacz said. “That was a big title for me, it actually helped me be around 120 in the rankings and that got me closer to being in the Top 100. That goal was quite realistic after that tournament.
“Then, the Challenger in Brest, France, I won it [in 2018] and it helped me qualify for the Next Gen Finals. That was an amazing memory, especially because I needed to perform well to have a chance to qualify.”
Hurkacz is now pursuing success in a new way in his first Challenger appearance in nearly seven years.
“The most important thing is being healthy and we’ve been able to do that,” Hurkacz said. “I feel like I need some more matches, some wins especially. Playing matches helps, but obviously winning gives you the biggest boost.
“My level is still not very consistent yet, but I don’t feel like I’m very far from it, so we are putting in the work every single day and enjoying the competition.”
