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Hubert Hurkacz issued an apology to Roger Federer after forgetting to mention the Swiss tennis icon during his Shanghai Masters post-final speech. On Sunday, Hurkacz captured the Shanghai Masters final in front of Federer after beating Andrey Rublev 6-3 3-6 7-6 (8).
During the trophy presentation, Hurkacz was expressing his gratitude and appreciation for those who supported him throughout his Shanghai run. When Hurkacz got to the locker room, he realized that he didn't really acknowledge Federer's presence as he should have.
“In my speech, I was, like, trying to thank everyone. I forgot to mention Roger, thanks for coming, so, yeah, sorry for that. Hopefully, he won't take it personally," Hurkacz said after the Shanghai final.
Federer lost to Hurkacz in his last singles match
In the 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinal, Hurkacz ousted Federer 6-3 7-6 (4) 6-0.
Shortly after that match, Federer underwent his third knee surgery. Last year, Federer revealed how he really felt after losing to Hurkacz at 2021 Wimbledon. “The last set versus Hurkacz was one of the worst hours of my career.
I realized that nothing works anymore. It's over. The disappointment felt like fireworks in my head. I didn't know how to proceed with this knee," Federer said after announcing his retirement last year. After Federer's career came to an end at last year's Laver Cup, Hurkacz paid tribute to the former 20-time Grand Slam champion.
"It was an honor to experience your game for all these years and to share the court with you @rogerfederer. You’ve been an inspiration to me and many many others. Congratulations on a legendary career and good luck for the future," Hurkacz said in his tribute to Federer.
Hurkacz and Federer played against each other two times. When they met for the first time in the 2019 Indian Wells Masters quarterfinal, Federer claimed a 6-4 6-4 win.