Shockwaves in Polish camp! Hubert Hurkacz withdrew from the Paris Olympics, which means there will be no Polish teams in the doubles or mixed doubles. He was supposed to play in singles and team up with Jan Zielinski and Iga Swiatek. His sudden withdrawal means Zielinski will be deprived of getting the chance to play doubles and he can’t even form an emergency pair with the WTA no.1. Amidst all the chaos, the President of the Polish Olympic Committee made a bizarre claim about his withdrawal!
Radoslaw Piesiewicz is utterly disappointed with Hurkacz’s decision. The 27-year-old suffered a knee injury during his second-round match at Wimbledon, which forced him to withdraw against Arthur Fils. He confirmed he underwent a “knee procedure” and things looked good for a while, but came the saddening update, “The rehabilitation is really going very well and I am constantly moving forward. However, we have made a decision with the team that I am not able to play in the Olympic Games in Paris.“
It was a “dream” for Hurkacz to represent his nation at the Olympics and win a medal for his country, but now his health stands in the way. Speaking on his recent statement on Instagram, Piesiewicz claimed, “I learned about Hurkacz’s resignation yesterday from a statement. We were counting on Hubert flying to the Olympics, getting his act together, and allowing Janek to play in the mixed doubles.” The President of the Polish Olympic Committee said he had a chat with the Polish Tennis Association and the message he got was everything was going well for the world number 7.
Now, Piesiewicz says that he yet again called the manager and “made her realize how important it was for Hubert to be there. I was waiting for a return call with a decision. I never got it.” He admitted that he respects Hurkacz’s decision, but at the same time he revealed he doesn’t “understand it” and this will be a “huge loss” for the Polish sport. Surprisingly, as per several reports, even Iga Swiatek tried to reach out to him, but she failed.
Iga Swiatek’s quest for a mixed doubles medal in danger after Hubert Hurkacz’s withdrawal from the Olympics
Earlier this year, Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Swiatek reached the finals of the 2024 United Cup. Both fit well together and they were among the favorites to win a gold in mixed doubles this year. Withdrawal of Hurkacz means Swiatek will have one less chance of taking home an Olympic medal and that’s a huge blow for Poland as well. However, interestingly when Swiatek’s team was asked about the whole turn of events surrounding her mixed doubles partner, they said, “Iga tried to call Hubert, but she didn’t get through.
As per the rules, only the players who are playing in the singles or doubles event can play the mixed doubles. So, this is a huge blow for Zielinski as well! All of his countrymen regarded him as one of the best doubles players in the world. There were also possibilities of him winning a medal for his country along with Hurkacz, but now, the story is different! Piesiewicz also spoke about this in his interview with the Polish media. He said, “I feel sorry for Zielinski the most.” It’s a pity that he won’t get the chance to play at the Olympics.
