How the Injury Unfolded
Trouble first appeared for Hurkacz in the fourth set, when he began feeling pain around his ribs. The discomfort made it difficult for him to twist his torso, a movement that's essential for nearly every shot in tennis. He called the physiotherapist onto the court more than once in an attempt to manage the pain, but eventually, there was no way around it, and he chose to retire rather than risk further damage.

The timing made the moment especially tough to swallow. Hurkacz had been building an impressive comeback story this tournament, one that carried extra weight given how his career had unravelled after a serious knee injury at the 2024 championships. That injury had knocked him from a career-best ranking of world No. 7 all the way down to No. 96, making his run back into form all the more meaningful.

Leading up to Sunday's setback, Hurkacz had looked sharp throughout the tournament. He knocked out 11th seed Casper Ruud of Norway, then defeated Austria's Sebastian Ofner, before beating American 21st seed Tommy Paul to book his place in the round of 16.

A Tough Fortnight for Poland
Hurkacz's exit didn't just end his own campaign; it also marked the finish of Poland's presence in the tournament altogether, since he was the last Polish player left in the singles draw.

It had already been a rough couple of weeks for the country's other players. Defending champion Iga Świątek, seen as Poland's best shot at the title, was knocked out in the third round, losing 7–6 (11–9), 6–2 to unseeded Filipino player Alexsandra Eala.

Maja Chwalińska, who had been in good form after a solid showing at Roland Garros, was eliminated on the very first day of the tournament. Magda Linette and Magdalena Fręch suffered the same early fate. Meanwhile, Kamil Majchrzak, the top-ranked Polish man in the draw, went out in the second round.