Jan-Lennard Struff Makes History at Wimbledon with a Historic Quarter-Final Berth

Jan-Lennard Struff has sensationally reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon following his latest comeback. The 36-year-old advanced to the final eight of a Grand Slam for the first time when his Polish opponent, Hubert Hurkacz, retired at a score of 3:6, 6:7 (5:7), 7:6 (7:2), 7:5, 4:2. He could now face the defending Italian champion, Jannik Sinner.

After Struff broke serve in the fifth set, which lasted 3 hours and 40 minutes, Hurkacz, suffering from back pain, frustratedly threw down his racket and conceded. "It's a shame to end it like this," said Struff, adding, "I'm very happy. The ending was quite tough. It's unbelievable. You should never give up." He described his Wimbledon journey as "simply crazy."

Struff has continued his winning streak at the grass-court classic, a feat that was not anticipated beforehand. He hadn't won two matches in the main draw of any tournament since October. The player from Warstein, ranked 74th in the world at the start of the All England Club tournament, is now ranked 40th in the live rankings. Struff put in a strong performance against Hurkacz, remaining composed despite a two-set deficit and escaping seemingly hopeless situations, as he had in previous rounds.

Struff is now celebrating his quarter-final debut in his 47th attempt at one of the four major tournaments. Since the introduction of professional tennis in 1968, only Frenchman Fabrice Santoro had to wait longer for such an achievement (54 attempts). At 36 years old, Struff is also the oldest player to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and at any Grand Slam for the first time. His next opponent will be either top favorite Sinner or the Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki.

Zverev and Struff Could Write German Tennis History at Wimbledon

Following Struff, Alexander Zverev also aims to reach the quarter-finals for the first time on Monday. The French Open winner will face the 13th-seeded Czech, Jiri Lehecka. Should Zverev win, it would mark the first time since 2012 that two German tennis professionals have reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.

After an early break, the world number 96, Hurkacz, controlled the first set on Court 2 and took the lead after 30 minutes. Both players exchanged powerful serves and aces, but Struff began to find his rhythm. However, he faltered in his eighth tiebreak of the tournament, allowing Hurkacz to secure the second set as well.

Struff fought back with determination and resilience, refusing to be discouraged. After winning the next tiebreak, hope began to grow. Hurkacz required medical treatment before the fourth set and again midway through the set. Afterward, the Pole played strategically, requesting further breaks or a stoppage due to darkness. Ultimately, he retired.