It might be a stretch to call it a title defence. But it does have the feeling of a kind of homecoming.
Poland's Hubert Hurkacz returns to the Rolex Shanghai Masters this week for the first time since winning the 2023 title, having missed the past two editions due to injury.
Three years ago, the former World No. 6 survived a match point in the final to defeat Andrey Rublev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(8) to claim his second ATP Masters 1000 title (Miami, 2021).
“I’ve been missing Shanghai a lot. I’m happy to finally be back,” Hurkacz said. “A lot of things have happened since then, but I’m feeling good and playing better tennis.
“It was crazy. It was a really amazing experience and definitely very challenging and difficult. I was not having my best season back then, so to turn it around with an amazing title, that was really fantastic.”
Since winning Shanghai, Hurkacz has taken just one title (the 2024 Estoril Open) as he has battled a series of injuries and indifferent form.
In 2025, he played just 26 matches. His last match came in June before he underwent surgery on his right knee in July, an injury he initially suffered at Wimbledon the year before.
In 2026, he started strongly with Top 10 wins over Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz to help lead Poland to victory in the United Cup, but he then won just one match for the remainder of the hard-court season through the Miami Open.
Solid, if not spectacular, results began in the clay swing and now he’s on the verge of reclaiming a spot in the Top 30 for the first time since April 2025 after a hot start in Asia.
After a final appearance in Chengdu and a semi-final showing this week in Beijing, where he retired with injury against Alex de Minaur, Hurkacz said that he’s very happy with his game.
“I think the form is really, really good,” he said. “I’ve been playing my best tennis in a long while.
“Things are on an upward trajectory. The body… I’m recovering well and doing everything I can to be 100 per cent fit for the match [here in Shanghai].”
The 29-year-old is now working with Gilles Cervara, the former longtime coach of Daniil Medvedev.
“Everyone’s different and has their different style. I really like what we’re doing together with Gilles,” said the eight-time ATP Tour champion. “He really takes care of things and also the details on the practice court. And I think it starts to show in the way I play.
“He writes a lot of notes. He’s written many books already.
“We changed a bit the way I practice and we have a focus on the quality of the shots and the adjustments to the ball. I think that allows me to maybe play a bit better, a bit stronger from the baseline.
“I definitely think that still the best years are to come, especially with the game and the potential that I have.”
Hurkacz plays his opening match Thursday against James Duckworth, with the winner to face four-time Shanghai champion Novak Djokovic, who on Tuesday won his seventh Beijing title.
