Former Grand Slam semifinalist continues to struggle, losing streak persists, return to peak remains distant.

It is widely recognized that the four Grand Slam tournaments are the highest-level tennis events. Consequently, achieving good results in Grand Slams is challenging. Typically, after securing strong results in Grand Slams, players tend to sustain relatively good performance over extended periods.

Nevertheless, exceptions exist. In the 2026 season, two players who previously achieved notable results in Grand Slams encountered consecutive losses. Who are these players? What notable achievements did they have in Grand Slams? How did they perform in 2026? Let this article explore these questions.

Polish player Hubert Hurkacz is familiar to many fans. In 2021, he triumphed at the Miami Masters, winning his first Masters title. At Wimbledon that year, Hurkacz defeated Roger Federer in the quarterfinals, significantly impacting Federer's confidence. This marked Hurkacz's first Grand Slam semifinal appearance.

Early in 2026, he secured four victories at the United Cup. While Iga Świątek faced setbacks in semifinals and finals, Hurkacz helped Poland clinch its first United Cup title. This seemed like a resurgence, but after an unexpected loss to American player Quinn in the Australian Open second round, Hurkacz failed to win any subsequent matches.

From tour events to challengers and back to tour matches, even against opponents outside the TOP100, he suffered straight-set defeats. Notably, only one match reached a deciding set. Often, even when pushing matches to a deciding set, Hurkacz ended up losing.

In the Miami Masters first round, facing Quinn for the second time in 2026, Hurkacz was thoroughly defeated 6-2, 6-4. In Grand Slam events, he had previously forced tie-breaks. Objectively, based on scores, Hurkacz has clearly declined.

Similarly, Brazilian player Mayar also achieved notable Grand Slam results. In 2023, after reaching a WTA1000 final, she advanced to her first Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros. That year, she partnered with Zhang Shuai at the Australian Open, but they exited early in the second round. Post-match, conflicts arose, causing significant controversy.

Since the start of 2026, at both the United Cup and Australian Open, Mayar lost after leading initially. These defeats greatly affected her confidence. Subsequently, she only won one match at the WTA1000 Doha qualifying event.

Unlike Hurkacz who could force tie-breaks, Mayar often suffered comprehensive defeats. For instance, in the WTA1000 Miami first round against Turkish player Semez, Mayar only won five games, extending her losing streak to six matches, while Hurkacz faced a seven-match losing streak.

Currently, both Mayar and Hurkacz rank outside the TOP70. As former Grand Slam semifinalists, when they will overcome their losing streaks and regain form remains uncertain. That concludes today's tennis story; more updates tomorrow.Source: Tennis Home Author: Yixin居士