Nicolas Massu on the return of Hubert Hurkacz: ‘Nothing is impossible if you keep the work ethic’ | ATP Tour
United Cup
Massu on Hurkacz’s return: ‘Nothing is impossible if you keep your work ethic’
Hurkacz’s coach is talking to himself about the return of the Pole to play
January 08, 2026
Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
Hubert Hurkacz and Nicolas Massu embrace after Hurkacz’s win over Alexander Zverev in the United Cup opener.
Written by Andrew Eichenholz
Before the United Cup, the former World No. 9 Nicolas Massu spoke to his player, Hubert Hurkacz. The Pole was preparing for his first championship in seven months following a knee injury that required surgery last July.
The message from the Chileans was clear.
“Enjoy the competition again,” Massu told Hurkacz. “Look back at where you’ve been, and everything you’ve been through in the past seven months. You deserve to be here. Appreciate that. Enjoy the moment. Take it one step at a time, don’t think too much about the consequences.”
Since then, Hurkacz has made a dream debut in his return to Sydney, earning a straight-sets victory against World No. 3 Alexander Zverev and Tallon Griekspoor to help Poland reach the quarter-finals of the mixed team event.
“I’m really happy because we’ve had some tough times. And when you’re out of the competition for seven months – a lot of time – you need to be patient,” said Massu. “You have to be strong, it’s not very easy because sometimes you just want to think about the competitions, you miss weeks and then there’s a little recovery.”
Although Hurkacz’s game has been sharp inside the Ken Rosewall Arena, claiming his 20th Top-10 title, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, that doesn’t mean recent months have been perfect. It was too far for the Pole, who has had knee surgery for two seasons in a row.
“It is not easy to keep faith all the time because the days are long, there is a lot of treatment, a lot of recovery,” said Massu. “But at the same time, I am absolutely convinced – because I have this in my many years on tour, many years in tennis – that sometimes, if you are strong and believe and work hard, it’s worth it.”
Massu made it clear that Hurkacz did everything in his power to not only recover physically, but to prepare for his return. From Marbella and Malaga to Monaco and Poland, Hurkacz has worked hard to put himself in the best position for the times he has encountered this past week.
“It’s amazing, Hubi’s way of working. He follows everything 100 percent. If he has to do this, he does that and more,” said Massu. “It’s not only on the court, it’s off the court: the way he takes care of the food, the treatment, all the stretching, so I think if you work like this, [positive] things need to come back. You deserve these kinds of results.”
For Hurkacz every day was the same. Early mornings, late nights and lots of hard work. There were times of pain and fatigue. But as the coach explained, “these things are difficult”.
“My experience in my life and my tennis career is that everything is strong against you or sometimes it’s dark, at the end of the tunnel, you see the light,” said Massu. “You need to keep the faith.”
The two-time Olympic gold medalist returned to Chile for about three months before returning to Europe in September to help the Pole resume court training. They took things slow, prioritizing listening to Hurkacz’s doctors and physio. The key was not to rush.
“Everything we had to do, we were doing, and we were listening to the right people,” said Massu. “We were strong in difficult times and I think all I wanted, from my point of view, was to see him back on the court competing.”
One thing that has not left the Pole is his worship. Hurkacz has hit 42 aces in four sets and faced just one break point against formidable opposition.
“It’s a great talent,” said Massu. “And he’s definitely working hard. He’s focused a lot there.”
But the Chilean wanted to show how much of a player Hurkacz is. World No. 83 stands 6’5″, but has more than enough resources.
“I think he is a complete player. I still believe that he can play even on clay at the same level as the hard court,” said Massu. “Also, we need to develop small details that can make him fight at the top again. But the most important thing is health, I still believe that if he is healthy, we can achieve good things.”
Hurkacz is just getting started. Although he hopes to maintain his early form this week in Sydney, a full comeback has only just begun. Massu has a lot of faith in his grip.
“I always believe that nothing is impossible if you keep your work ethic, if you keep your positive attitude,” said Massu. “At some point, you will recover.”
