"I'd like to see them clean up the schedule" - Hurkacz's coach Craig Boynton on changes he'd like to see in tennis, Alcaraz-Sinner & more in Exclusive
Wimbledon begins on Monday (July 1) and among the players chasing their first Grand Slam title is Poland's Hubert Hurkacz. The 27-year-old, commonly known as 'Hubi' on the ATP Tour, comes into the Grasscourt Slam with a career-high ranking of No 7. He has had a strong first half of the season, which included a first career clay court title in Estoril, a quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open, and a runner-up finish in Halle last week.
Ahead of Wimbledon, we caught up with Craig Boynton, the coach who has been working with Hurkacz for half a decade. The American, who turned 60 earlier this month and has worked with the likes of Jim Courier, John Isner and Mardy Fish in the past, offered his insights into the Pole's steady climb in the rankings and his maturity over the years, his thoughts on two of the game's youngest superstars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, and what he would like to change about the sport as it stands, among other things.
Exclusive Interview with World No. 7 Hubert Hurkacz's coach Craig Boynton
Sportskeeda: Firstly, coming into this week, Hubert Hurkacz is ranked a career-high No. 7 in the world. What are your reflections on his season so far and what are some of the things you think have worked well for him this year?
Craig Boynton: "I would say the things that worked well, game-wise, his serve, as always, is something that’s very difficult to deal with. Hurkacz had a good start in Australia, match points to win the United Cup against Alexander Zverev. At the Australian Open, the match against Daniil Medvedev, I would say six or seven times out of 10, he wins. So it was a bit unlucky not to make semis. But hats off to Medvedev. Then, Hubi got his first claycourt title, won a lot of matches on clay."
"So what he's doing this season, he's winning more matches, and he's more consistent in his results. His game is maturing, his competitive nature is maturing, he's got a better understanding of who he is as a player and as a person. And so it’s just incremental progress up and down the line."
Sportskeeda: Hurkacz had never made the second week at a Grand Slam until Wimbledon 2021 where he reached the semis. Since then, he has been to the second week at the Slams on five occasions. Do you think there’s anything specific that has led to that success in Grand Slams?
Craig Boynton: "Well, yes, he's more comfortable in his skin. He's playing better tennis at the Slams. He's competing a little bit better at the Slams. When you coach someone, you have to understand their tendencies and how they are and with Hubi, it takes him a little bit of time, a little bit more time than others to feel comfortable and to get in really in the kind of 'the mix of things.' So I think what you're describing there is just a reflection of him being more comfortable on the bigger stages. And his results are showing that."
Sportskeeda: Hubert Hurkacz has always been very dangerous on grass and this year, he also won a lot of matches on clay. On which surface do you think he is most dangerous? And where do you think he has the best shot of winning a first Grand Slam?
Craig Boynton: "I mean, when you're good, you're good. And you know, Hubert is good. Who would have thought that Andre Agassi's first Slam would be on grass? So, it's really difficult to fortune tell if you will, on when someone's going to come good. I kind of stay out of that. I'm just focused on the next point. Hubi wants to be focused on the next point. My goal for him is to have him prepared for that."
"And you know, he's just a really really good tennis player. All these guys are really, really good tennis players. Yes, they have better tendencies on maybe different surfaces, but that doesn't exclude them from doing extremely well on other surfaces. And I just kind of stay out of that space of guessing. Hurkacz can beat anybody at any time on any surface."
Sportskeeda: You have been coaching Hubert Hurkacz for around five years now, and that is one of the longer player-coach relationships on the tour, outside of when a parent is involved. What makes it click between the two of you?
Craig Boynton: "Well, firstly, for any kind of relationship, you got to have good communication and a good understanding of each other. Hurkacz and I, from the onset, are extremely honest with each other. We trust each other. We are safe spaces for each other in terms of communication and information."
"I am just relentless in trying to help him be the best he can be. And so whatever is going to help him, we take a look at it, whether it’s opening up a new lane, if you will, on his team, if this is going to help him, then we take a look at it. And we kick it around and we try it out. And if it works, great. If it doesn't, then we move on to the next. So it's about getting it right. It's not about who is right."
"I think what happens is you have a comfort level and you have a trust level. And you just kind of get to work and you see him incrementally getting better. So what we're doing is working."
Sportskeeda: The last time we spoke a few years back, on-court coaching was still not allowed on the men’s tour and you were a proponent of it. On-court coaching is allowed now. What has been your experience with that? Do you think it helps change the dynamics of a match and any specific examples where you feel it has really helped the player that you may be able to share with us?
Craig Boynton: "Well, it doesn't necessarily change the dynamics. It also depends upon your player and how they want information. You've really got to know your player and I will tell you a first-hand account of how it's worked. And it's actually worked against us."
"When Hubi was playing Tommy Paul in Rome, my wife was watching. And on TV, you can hear both sides and who's talking what. I am in the stands and I don't know what's going on, per se, on the other side of the net with Tommy and his coach Brad (Stine), who's an amazing coach, by the way, because I'm not privy to that just in relation to where I'm sitting and where Brad is sitting. My wife Teri told me later, you know, Brad kept Tommy together. There were a couple of times during that match we thought Tommy was just kind of breaking and Brad’s words and influence kept him together. And she reckoned that Brad was a major influence on Tommy winning that match and making the semis."
"My hats off to Brad and this is where the on-court coaching can come into play and as much as it you know, it went against us. I think this is only a good thing. When you can help bring out the best in your player. I don't see how that is anything but beneficial."
Sportskeeda: Are there any other changes that you would like to see in the sport? Anything that you would like to see being introduced as a rule in the sport going forward?
Craig Boynton: "Well, there's a lot of things that they're playing around with. I personally would like to see a longer grasscourt season, not because the guy I work with plays well on grass. But if you have a Grand Slam tournament on a surface, I think you owe it. It's due to have a proper season."
"I would really like to see them clean up the schedule and get rid of some of these tournaments on clay after Wimbledon, push Wimbledon back and have a proper grasscourt season throughout Europe. It doesn't necessarily have to be in England, it'd be great if it were in other countries also. That to me now makes the most sense of where we are right now."
"The other thing that I think you should be able to have is one or two timeouts a match if you're playing a three-set or a five-set match. You see it all the time in other sports. In European football, they have a timeout. You see it in American sports, where in basketball, they're going to make a free throw to win the game and the coach calls timeout. I think with this, you would eliminate the kind of fake injuries at opportune times. I think that would be kind of fun and kind of cool."
Sportskeeda: Hurkacz has one of the best serves in the game but he also does play a lot of tiebreaks. I think it was upto 43 tiebreaks after Halle in 2024 itself. When you see that in your player, is that something that you work with as an input for coaching, maybe play more tiebreaks in practice or try to improve the return game?
Craig Boynton: "Well, we're not necessarily focusing on the tiebreakers per se. We do play tiebreakers in practice. Everyone should play tiebreakers in practice because it's part of the game. I don't schedule more tiebreakers in practice just because he plays more tiebreakers in matches. Each tiebreaker has its own different kind of flow and its own personality, and you just have to manage the tiebreaker as it comes. There are some sets where he'll break and then gets broken or others where he holds all the way through. So again, each set is different."
"But in the bigger picture, yes, we're trying to get Hubi’s return stats to improve, and he has improved his return ranking and his return stats and just trying to help him get better in all facets of the game. And if he gets better in all facets of the game, all the other kind of rankings and situations will change and he'll be able to adapt to the new surroundings that are in front of him."
Sportskeeda: Talking about the current young players at the top, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, in the last couple of years, they have really broken through to the top and won Grand Slams. As a coach, what do you think is the specific challenge that they bring out on court to their opponents, including your own player?
Craig Boynton: "Well, they're definitely playing the best tennis level-wise tournament to tournament. I would say Jannik definitely has. He's only lost a couple of times this year. Carlos, when he has been healthy, as well. They're playing just more consistently better."
"They both bring out certain challenges. And as you go to play them, you have to have a specific weaponry if you will, to make an impression. And so it's a fun time because these guys are chasing each other, but they make everybody else better. Because you have to be better if you want to be in the same race that these guys are in, so it's a fun time."
"Hubi played Jannik a couple of days ago (in the Halle final) and lost 7-6, 7-6 and neither one of them lost serve. So we take away the positives. Hubi played probably one of the best returners in the game right now and didn't lose serve. That's a positive. So we take that and it was just one or two points here and there. And we hit the practice courts just trying to reel in that little 1% or 2% that could be the difference down the road."
Sportskeeda: Coming to you personally, you've been coaching for many years now. Do you enjoy traveling and the grind that comes with the tour life? How do you balance that with your family life and what keeps you motivated as a coach?
Craig Boyton: "I've noticed, if I feel like I'm making a difference, that is what is the biggest motivation for me. Also, I've been really fortunate. I have three children. They're all adults. My youngest is a junior in college. Teri (my wife) and I have been able to get through those tough times when the kids were growing up. I can't tell you how I was able to do it, a lot of help from Teri, obviously. But my kids love what I do."
"My daughter actually is flying in this morning to spend Wimbledon with me. My wife spent the French Open with me. My other daughter Skylar, she will come to Miami. My son Spencer generally comes to Cincinnati. So there are pockets of the year where I'm able to bring the family on the road. And that is huge, and Hurkacz understands how big that is. I still enjoy the travel. I am fortunate enough where I've been at these tournaments multiple times so I can kind of hit the ground running in terms of routine."
"You know, I just make it a game. If you're playing a game, you're more likely to have fun with it. And that's kind of what I do and how I get through it."
Sportskeeda: Okay, tell us something that has surprised you about Hubi in the time that you have worked together with him.
Craig Boynton: "Well, when we first started working together, I was surprised at how good he was at everything. And it was really surprising how Formula One really was his passion. Watching him in the simulators. They have had the F1 simulators at tournaments and Hubi is like a fraction of a second behind the best in the world in those. It's amazing how good he is behind the wheel of a car."
"I think he would be F1 driver potential if he wasn't so tall. That was, I wouldn't say surprising, it was just really interesting. And really fun to watch and how quickly he got good at golf. He's good at everything. He's a master of ping pong. He was excellent at everything. So that's been kind of fun to watch and witness throughout the years."
Sportskeeda: Coming up, there are three big events on the calendar. Wimbledon, then there's the Olympics where Hubert is also playing mixed doubles with Iga Swiatek and then the US Open in a fairly short amount of time. Any specific thoughts/goals for the upcoming stretch?
Craig Boynton: "Well, it's just like any other stretch, though the Olympics add a little something different as it comes around once every four years. Hurkacz is very honored to slap the flag of Poland on his chest and play and also the chance to play mixed with Iga Swiatek. I know he would very much love to bring a medal back to Poland."
"But as you said, it's a very condensed schedule. So even rest is paramount. If you're playing all the time, it's tough to recover. So he's going to really have to be on point on days off and make sure that you don't try to fit 12 pounds of stuff into a 10-pound bag. That's when the bag start breaking."
"But it's the same for everyone that chooses to play the Olympics, and you just have to manage it the right way. The workload is very important and the rest and making sure that you tap the brakes, and not so much the accelerator during this time, because it is a busy time. And the more matches you win, obviously, the more days you play. All these tournaments that he is playing are just massive tournaments. So it's tough to say I want to peak at this time because you want to peak the whole time. So that's the challenge going forward for not only Hurkacz but for everyone."
Sportskeeda: Hurkacz, whenever he's on the court, he's very well-behaved. He doesn't have too many tantrums. From what we see, he comes across as a chilled-out guy off the court as well. What do you think makes him lose his cool at times, if at all he does?
Craig Boynton: "I think it's just like anybody else. You can talk to any player and every player has a hook or something like that. All players have expectations, or they can be upset with themselves, or for whatever reason, they're not able to let go of a moment, or they're thinking too much in the past, or they're thinking too much in the future. You know, fears and expectations and hopes, and you can see every player goes through that every at some point."
"Roger Federer was at a commencement speech in a college recently and he was talking about just this one thing that 80% of a tennis match is when you're in your own thoughts. And so every player really needs to master their own. Some players are upset because they're uncomfortable on grass, and they're not accepting what you have to do on grass, and they fight the surface. So, everyone has a hook. And it's working and understanding what that hook is and accepting it and replacing it with whatever positive thoughts work."
Sportskeeda: One final question. There are a lot of videos and pictures online where Hubi hits the ball with his eyes closed. That's one of the basic things a lot of coaches tell their players.. to keep your eye on the ball. Is that something you tried to change with him when you started working with him?
Craig Boynton: "I would say that's just an area where I just felt that's just who he is. And he knows he does it. I don't know why he does it. But that's just kind of in Hubi’s DNA. Also, I’m not sure if he really wants to put energy towards that."
"It's difficult, you know, you're in the moment and you don't really want to think. You want to just kind of react and play. And if he's consciously thinking of keeping his eyes open, then that might pull him away from that calmness in that zone. So it's interesting. This is the first player that I've ever been with that does that but it just kind of makes him unique. And I just let him be him."