Hubert Hurkacz may be riding a nine-match winning streak at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, but coach Gilles Cervara is not one to let success get in the way of a little fine tuning.
Following Hurkacz’s three-set victory against Chinese wild card Zhou Yi in the third round on Sunday, the Pole was enjoying the moment when Cervara had other ideas. Pointing towards the practice courts, the French coach mimicked a forehand motion, seemingly suggesting there was still work to be done.
Hurkacz spotted the gesture and initially appeared to take it as a joke. His smile soon gave way to a look of confusion before he playfully threw his hands up in mock desperation.
Hurkacz is back in Shanghai for the first time since his 2023 triumph, when he saved a championship point against Andrey Rublev to lift the trophy. The former World No. 6 has endured multiple injuries disrupting his progress in recent seasons, including meniscus surgery in 2024.
At the start of 2026, Hurkacz lost seven consecutive tour-level matches between January and March before adding Cervara to his coaching setup. The Frenchman previously guided Daniil Medvedev to World No. 1.
Hurkacz has returned to fine form during the Asian hard-court swing, having reached the final in Chengdu and advanced to the semi-finals in Beijing before securing his place in the fourth round in Shanghai.
This week, having also defeated record four-time champion Novak Djokovic in the second round, Hurkacz has jumped five spots to No. 29 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.
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