Hurkacz Battles Past Bergs to Reach Second Round
Hubi’s Resilient Return: Hurkacz Battles Past Bergs to Reach Second Round
Hubert Hurkacz, 2026 | © Tennis Australia
Hubert Hurkacz, the world No. 55 and former top-10 mainstay, demonstrated his trademark grit on Tuesday night, overcoming a set and a break deficit to defeat Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-7(6), 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-3. In a match that spanned over three hours, the 28-year-old Pole relied on his elite serve—erasing the frustration of a lost first-set tiebreak—to secure his place in the round of 64.
The victory is a significant milestone in Hurkacz’s 2026 comeback campaign. After a devastating 2025 season that saw him undergo arthroscopic right knee surgery in July and miss the final six months of the year, “Hubi” has returned with renewed purpose. His ranking, which plummeted to No. 73 during his layoff, is already on a sharp upward trajectory following a stellar start to January. Hurkacz recently spearheaded Team Poland to their first-ever United Cup title in Sydney, where he notched critical top-10 wins over Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz.
Hurkacz – Quinn next
Now holding a 5-1 record in 2026, Hurkacz looks increasingly like the player who reached the Australian Open quarterfinals in 2024. While he occasionally showed signs of physical fatigue early in the match against the 43rd-ranked Bergs, his movement and court coverage in the final two sets suggested he has fully moved past the knee and back issues that derailed his previous season.
Hurkacz now moves forward to a second-round encounter against the rising American Ethan Quinn. Quinn, 21, pulled off one of the tournament’s most clinical upsets earlier in the week, dismantling the 23rd seed Tallon Griekspoor in straight sets. For Hurkacz, the match will be a test of his ability to handle the “NextGen” power as he continues his climb back toward the world’s top 10.
