Iga Swiatek has praised her compatriot Hubert Hurkacz for his recent victory at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
Polish player Hurkacz ousted Thanasi Kokkinakis and Yu Hsiou Hsu in straight sets before overcoming a tough three-set battle against Zhizhen Zhang which included two tiebreaks. He then fought back from a set down against Fabian Maroszan before defeating Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-4 in the semi-final.
Hurkacz then faced fifth seed Andrey Rublev in the final, where he won the first set 6-3. Rublev then claimed back the second set 6-3 but Hurkacz was able to secure the title by winning the tiebreak in the decider.
This victory marked the second ATP Masters 1000 title in the 26-year-old's career. Afterward, he expressed his joy on social media.
"Shanghai (heart emoji). This one feels special.
This season hasn’t been easy but I never stopped believing. Thanks to my family, my team and everyone cheering in the crowds and on tv. Well done Andrey on a great tournament! Thank you Shanghai," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
World No. 2 and four-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek was quick to congratulate her compatriot.
"Great job, Hubi! Huge congratulations," she wrote in Polish.
After the match, Hurkacz spoke of how he was "really happy" to have won the tough battle in the final.
"It was such a battle. Especially emotionally. I had a match point and Andrey hit an amazing serve and then he had a match point and then I had some match points.
It was back and forth and such a tricky match. Andrey was playing some great shots. I was trying to respond. It was one of those matches and I kept believing and I am super happy with how I managed at the end. It is such a big tournament and so much tradition.
It is a huge event and I am really happy now," he said.
Hurkacz is currently preparing to compete at the Japan Open in Tokyo, where he will face Zhang in the opening round.
Super sprawa Hubi!💪🏼 Ogromne gratulacje ☺️
Shanghai ❤️🏆 This one feels special. This season hasn’t been easy but I never stopped believing. Thanks to my family, my team and everyone cheering in the crowds and on tv. Well done Andrey on a great tournament! Thank you Shanghai. Happy birthday Grandma 😊 📸 Hector Retamal
