Ranking Reaction: Hubert Hurkacz becomes highest-ranked Polish man in ATP rankings history

After his run to the semis of the Rolex Paris Masters, where he was just two points away from beating Novak Djokovic, Hubert Hurkacz rises from No. 10 to No. 9 today, making him the standalone highest-ranked Polish man in ATP rankings history.

He tied the record for highest-ranked Polish man in ATP rankings history three weeks ago when he rose to No. 10—his countryman, Wojtek Fibak, got to No. 10 in 1977.

It’s been a breakthrough year for Hurkacz, highlighted by winning the biggest title of his career in Miami and reaching his first major semifinal at Wimbledon. He ended up reaching the quarterfinals or better at four of the eight Masters 1000s this year—a title in Miami, the semis of Paris and two quarterfinals at Toronto and Indian Wells.

During Indian Wells, the 24-year-old from Wroclaw was asked about taking time out to celebrate his accomplishments during such a busy year.

“I’m trying to enjoy them for a little bit,” he said. “I mean, sometimes it’s tough with the schedule, because when you play the tournament next week, then it’s not really that much time to enjoy the success. But, yeah, it’s important to be happy when you have a great week to enjoy it, as well, because not every week is going to go your way.”

Other players hitting new career-highs in the upper echelon of the ATP rankings include Indian Wells champion Cam Norrie, who rises from No. 13 to No. 12; Australian Open semifinalist Aslan Karatsev, who makes his Top 15 debut, inching up from No. 16 to No. 15; and Taylor Fritz, who goes from No. 26 to a new personal best of No. 23.

Fritz also becomes the new American No. 1 on the ATP rankings, just one spot ahead of No. 24 John Isner, who in turn is one spot ahead of No. 25 Reilly Opelka.

A little further down the ATP rankings, two players who reached their first Masters 1000 quarterfinals in Paris both break into new ranking classes this week: Australian James Duckworth, who eventually fell to Hurkacz in the French capital, makes his Top 50 debut, rising from No. 55 to No. 47; and Frenchman Hugo Gaston, who lost to Daniil Medvedev, makes his Top 100 debut, soaring from No. 103 to No. 67.

And although none of them played last week, some shifts up and down the WTA rankings propel three of 2021’s biggest breakthrough stars to new heights this week: Indian Wells champion Paula Badosa makes her Top 10 debut, rising from No. 11 to No. 10 after Angelique Kerber dips from No. 9 to No. 17; US Open champion Emma Raducanu rises from No. 21 to No. 20, her Top 20 debut, after Belinda Bencic falls from No. 17 to No. 23; and US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez goes from No. 26 to No. 24, her Top 25 debut, after Bianca Andreescu slips from No. 24 to No. 46.

Points from Indian Wells in 2019 have dropped off today, and Andreescu, Kerber and Bencic are all affected in a big way—the Canadian won the WTA 1000 event two years ago, the German was a finalist and the Swiss was a semifinalist.

Badosa is the fifth Spanish woman to reach the Top 10 in WTA rankings history, after Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Conchita Martinez, Garbine Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro—they went as high as No. 1, No. 2, No. 1 and No. 6, respectively.