Return to competition

Hubert Hurkacz stepped onto the court for his first competitive match in exactly one month, defeating American qualifier Marcos Giron at the ATP 1000 event in Montreal. The Polish player had not competed since July 5, when he retired from his fourth-round Wimbledon match against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff due to an abdominal muscle injury. The first-round match was originally scheduled for Monday but was pushed to Tuesday because of rain delays.

“I am very happy with this first victory in Montreal. First matches are never the easiest, plus it's a new surface. This win is even more important because I'm coming back from injury.”

Match narrative

The contest began as an extremely tight serving battle. Neither player earned a break point until the 12th game of the first set, when Hurkacz converted the single opportunity to take it 7-5. Giron, ranked 81st in the world, responded in the second set by breaking the Pole's serve in the third game. Hurkacz had two chances to break back in the seventh game but could not convert, and Giron closed out the set 6-4. The third set was one-sided: Hurkacz broke immediately in the second game, jumped to a 3-0 lead, and added a second break late to win 6-2 after one hour and 55 minutes.

A one-sided head-to-head

Tuesday's result was the fifth meeting between Hurkacz and Giron, and the Pole has won every one. The streak includes a Wimbledon victory in 2021, two wins in 2024 at Halle and Tokyo, and a win last season in Rome. The American arrived in Montreal after competing in Washington, D.C., and navigating the qualifying draw, where he defeated Pablo Ruiz Llamas to reach the main bracket. Giron also suffered an early exit at Wimbledon, losing to eventual finalist Alexander Zverev.

What is next

Hurkacz, currently 72nd in the ATP rankings, advances to a second-round matchup against Chile's Alejandro Tabilo, the world No. 26 and the tournament's 25th seed, who received a first-round bye. That match is set for Wednesday, August 5, with broadcast coverage on Polsat Sport and online streaming via Polsat Box Go. Another Pole in the draw, Kamil Majchrzak (No. 67), lost his opening match in Montreal. Hurkacz said he is focused on regaining form. "I'm happy to have the chance to play more matches in Montreal and rebuild my form," he said. "Thank you to everyone for the wonderful support."