Hubert Hurkacz acknowledges Iga Swiatek is doing great things for Polish tennis and he believes his nation definitely needs to use Swiatek’s success to help tennis grow in Poland. Hurkacz, 25, is a top-10 player and he is currently the highest-ranked Polish male tennis player.
Hurkacz himself has been doing great things for Polish tennis but it is Swiatek who is the No 1 tennis star in Poland. Swiatek, 21, is already a three-time Grand Slam champion and she is the top-ranked player on the WTA rankings list.
Since 2021, Poland has been hosting a clay WTA 250 event in Warsaw. Hurkacz says Poland hosting a WTA 250 event is a positive story and he would like to see more good tennis stories coming out of his nation.
Hurkacz on Swiatek’s impact on Polish tennis
“Iga (Swiatek) is doing an incredible job (for Polish tennis) and Magda (Linette) as well.
I think there are a lot of tennis fans in Poland. But certain things still need to be done for tennis to become more accessible for everyone and that will be amazing. For example, it would be great to see more ATP and WTA 250-level tournaments in Poland.
These events could also include activities for children, so that they could meet top players to be motivated and inspired. There are still some things that can be done to improve the Polish tennis movement and make it better for kids and young athletes.
Globally, I hope tennis becomes a bit more accessible and grows in the next couple of years,” Hurkacz told Relevant Tennis.
Hubi Hurkacz and his thoughts about tennis in Poland and his hopes for the future of the sport.
“It would be great to see more 250-level tournaments in Poland (…) Globally, I hope tennis becomes a bit more accessible”
🇵🇱🌐 pic.twitter.com/69TIJmClSQ — Relevant Tennis (@RelevantTennis) December 26, 2022
The Poland Open is taking place in late July, after Wimbledon. Swiatek didn’t play at the tournament in 2021, but she debuted at the tournament this year.
In her Warsaw debut, Swiatek didn’t win the title after losing to Caroline Garcia in the quarterfinal. Garcia, who is now the fourth-ranked player in the world, ended up winning the Warsaw title. Swiatek knows the importance of Poland hosting a WTA tournament and she will likely play again at the Poland Open in 2023.
