RallyIQ

Game plan

Hubert Hurkacz v Jannik Sinner

Every number combines what Hubert Hurkacz does well with what Jannik Sinner allows, each measured against the tour average and shrunk toward it when the sample is thin. Flip perspective

Forecast

Hubert Hurkacz wins, best of 3 12%90%: 4%–26% · best of 5: 7%
Serve points won 62.5% / 72.5% Hubert / Jannik · tour 63.5%
Strengths only, no similarity priors 11%serve 62.5% / 72.9%

Each player's serve and return strength is fitted against every opponent they were charted against, so a record built on weak opponents counts for less. Both were charted enough in the last three seasons, so those carry the most weight. The result is then nudged by Hubert Hurkacz's record against Jannik Sinner's tactical lookalikes and in their charted head-to-heads (lookalikes: +0.6 on serve, −0.7 on return vs expectation (2971 points); head-to-head: −1.3 on serve, +3.9 on return vs expectation (734 points)). A game-by-game Markov chain turns point odds into match odds; the 90% range covers the uncertainty in the two strengths, not the nudges. Charted matches lean toward big events, so treat this as a scouting estimate, not a betting line.

Head to head, per 100 shots

CareerHubertJannik
Direction choice+0.09 ±0.02
better than 79%
−0.07 ±0.02
better than 40%
Shot selection+0.14 ±0.05
better than 68%
+0.50 ±0.04
better than 93%
Execution−0.38 ±0.15
better than 49%
+0.25 ±0.16
better than 78%
Points left on the table2.49 ±0.04
lower than 62%
2.38 ±0.04
lower than 75%

Each player's career against an average tour player in the same position, adjusted for opponent strength, with a 90% margin (shots clustered by match). Points left on the table is the gap to the best-value direction for the same stroke, so lower is better. Percentiles are within each player's own tour. A side is highlighted only when the gap is larger than the margin on the difference.

Structural compatibility

Expected edge per 100 rally shots from style alone: Hubert Hurkacz −1.89, Jannik Sinner +0.24. Each player's shot mix weighted by their own skill with each shot and by how much the other gives up against it. This is why some rankings gaps don't hold in a given matchup.

Serve plan

The share of points the server wins when a first serve lands in that direction (hover a rate for its 90% interval; ± is the 90% margin). "Matchup" combines the server's rate with how this returner handles that serve. "Optimal" is the mix that wins most against this returner once they start reading a habit, at the response measured across the tour, and only within the range servers' habits actually vary. The gain over the current mix is how exploitable that mix is.

Hubert Hurkacz serving

Deuce court

1st serveNowHubert winsv JannikMatchupOptimal
Wide47%78%68%73.7%±1.654% ▲
Body5%63%58%58.2%±4.40% ▼
T48%80%72%77.6%±1.646% ▼

Optimal v Jannik Sinner: +0.5±0.2 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix. Serving T every time would read +2.8 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.

Ad court

1st serveNowHubert winsv JannikMatchupOptimal
Wide53%78%69%75.6%±1.666% ▲
Body4%66%59%62.4%±4.70% ▼
T42%76%66%70.1%±1.934% ▼

Optimal v Jannik Sinner: +0.3±0.3 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix. Serving wide every time would read +2.9 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.

Jannik Sinner serving

Deuce court

1st serveNowJannik winsv HubertMatchupOptimal
Wide46%78%73%78.0%±1.544% ▼
Body11%67%63%67.3%±3.60% ▼
T43%78%77%80.5%±1.556% ▲

Optimal v Hubert Hurkacz: +0.7±0.3 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix. Serving T every time would read +2.6 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.

Ad court

1st serveNowJannik winsv HubertMatchupOptimal
Wide58%76%73%76.7%±1.652% ▼
Body7%68%64%69.2%±4.20% ▼
T35%76%73%77.3%±1.848% ▲

Optimal v Hubert Hurkacz: +0.5±0.3 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix. Serving T every time would read +1.0 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.

Return plan

Value of each return, in points per 100 returns against an average return of the same serve (direction, court, surface): the tour's result with that return, the returner's own edge with it, and what this server gives up when it comes back to that side. Returns with no charted direction are left out, so values compare with each other rather than with zero. Depth isn't a choice here: missed returns have no depth. Serve quality isn't charted, so a block through the middle partly reflects the serve that forced it.

Hubert Hurkacz returning

1st serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv JannikValue
FH through the middle44%+4.3−0.4−1.6+2.2±0.9
FH crosscourt24%+5.5−2.3−1.6+1.6±1.7
FH down the line21%+1.7−2.0−4.4−4.7±1.9
FH slice through the middle5%−4.2−2.1−1.1−7.4±1.4
FH slice crosscourt5%−4.3−4.4−2.5−11.3±2.1

Lean FH through the middle: +3.1±0.8 per 100 returns v the current mix (6555 returns charted)

1st serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv JannikValue
BH through the middle34%+6.4−0.2−0.8+5.4±0.8
BH crosscourt26%+8.8−0.1−1.2+7.5±1.3
BH slice through the middle14%−4.2−3.5−3.3−10.9±1.1
BH down the line10%+4.2−0.9−2.8+0.5±2.4
BH slice crosscourt10%+0.5−6.1−4.0−9.6±1.7

Lean BH crosscourt: +7.8±1.0 per 100 returns v the current mix (6287 returns charted)

2nd serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv JannikValue
FH through the middle44%−3.5+1.4−1.0−3.1±1.2
FH down the line26%−1.8−1.5−3.0−6.3±2.6
FH crosscourt26%−0.2−3.3−1.6−5.1±2.4
FH slice through the middle2%−12.7−3.7−0.5−16.8±2.4
FH slice crosscourt1%−12.5−3.9−1.4−17.8±2.9

Lean FH through the middle: +1.9±1.2 per 100 returns v the current mix (1676 returns charted)

2nd serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv JannikValue
BH crosscourt42%+1.0−1.1−2.0−2.1±1.1
BH through the middle37%−2.9±0.0−0.5−3.4±0.9
BH down the line14%−0.2+0.5−1.3−1.1±2.9
FH through the middle2%−2.9−1.7−1.0−5.5±1.8
BH slice through the middle1%−11.3−1.4−4.1−16.8±2.4

Lean BH down the line: +1.8±2.5 per 100 returns v the current mix (3803 returns charted, inside the 90% margin)

Jannik Sinner returning

1st serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv HubertValue
FH through the middle57%+4.3+1.3−2.1+3.5±0.9
FH crosscourt23%+5.5+0.2−6.6−0.9±1.8
FH down the line16%+1.7−0.1−6.7−5.2±1.9
FH slice through the middle2%−4.2−4.2−2.8−11.2±1.7
FH slice crosscourt1%−4.3−1.8−4.7−10.9±2.4

Lean FH through the middle: +2.9±0.6 per 100 returns v the current mix (5521 returns charted)

1st serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv HubertValue
BH through the middle44%+6.4+0.1−1.0+5.6±0.9
BH crosscourt29%+8.8−0.6−2.7+5.5±1.3
BH down the line10%+4.2+0.3−5.6−1.1±2.4
BH slice through the middle9%−4.2−6.9−4.9−16.1±1.3
BH slice crosscourt5%+0.5−7.2−6.9−13.5±1.9

Lean BH through the middle: +4.5±0.7 per 100 returns v the current mix (5508 returns charted)

2nd serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv HubertValue
FH through the middle58%−3.5+0.5−1.0−4.0±1.2
FH crosscourt24%−0.2+0.5−2.9−2.6±2.7
FH down the line18%−1.8−1.3−4.1−7.2±3.0
BH through the middle0%+0.1+0.6−0.7±0.0±1.0

Lean FH crosscourt: +1.6±2.2 per 100 returns v the current mix (1459 returns charted, inside the 90% margin)

2nd serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv HubertValue
BH through the middle45%−2.9+0.6−0.7−3.0±0.8
BH crosscourt43%+1.0−0.4−1.8−1.1±1.1
BH down the line7%−0.2+1.3−5.0−3.9±3.2
FH through the middle3%−2.9±0.0−1.0−3.9±1.8
FH inside-in1%+0.6+0.2−2.9−2.2±3.5

Lean BH crosscourt: +1.2±0.8 per 100 returns v the current mix (3318 returns charted)

Rally plan

Edge, in points per 100 shots: the hitter's skill with the shot (own) plus how much the receiver usually gives up against it (theirs), both measured against the tour average.

Hubert Hurkacz

Favour

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
FH volley to the middle · serve +1+6.6±4.3+1.9+4.7
BH volley to their forehand · serve +1+6.2±5.3+2.7+3.6
Smash to their backhand · rally+4.7±3.6+1.7+3.0
FH slice to the middle · rally+3.3±1.5+2.8+0.6
FH drop shot to their forehand · rally+2.9±4.9+5.1−2.2
Smash to the middle · rally+2.5±4.9+1.7+0.8

Avoid

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
BH slice to their forehand · return−17.1±2.5−9.9−7.2
FH slice to their backhand · return−11.5±2.5−6.2−5.3
BH drop shot to their forehand · serve +1−10.1±5.0−5.7−4.4
BH slice to their backhand · return−9.9±1.6−5.7−4.2
BH slice to their forehand · return +1−8.7±2.7−3.9−4.8

Jannik Sinner

Favour

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
FH volley to their forehand · serve +1+4.0±4.8+3.7+0.3
FH to the middle · return +1+3.1±1.1+1.4+1.7
BH to their forehand · return +1+3.1±2.2+2.3+0.8
BH to their forehand · rally+2.9±1.1+1.8+1.1
Smash to the middle · rally+2.9±4.6+1.6+1.3
FH to their backhand · serve +1+2.7±0.9+1.8+0.9

Avoid

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
BH slice to their forehand · return−17.5±2.5−7.3−10.2
BH slice to their backhand · return−12.4±1.8−6.0−6.4
BH slice to the middle · return−10.5±1.2−6.0−4.5
BH slice to their forehand · return +1−8.5±2.9−4.7−3.8
FH slice to the middle · return−7.6±1.7−4.6−3.0

Against Jannik Sinner-like opponents

Hubert Hurkacz vMatchesServe pts wonReturn pts won
All charted opponents–68.3%34.4%
Players most similar to Jannik Sinner19 68.6%33.9%
Jannik Sinner (charted head-to-head)5 61.8%34.5%

Similar by tactical fingerprint: Cameron Norrie, Gael Monfils, Marcos Giron, Taylor Fritz, Arthur Cazaux, Luca Nardi, Cristian Garin, Ilya Ivashka, Andreas Seppi, Tennys Sandgren. When two players have rarely met, their records against these lookalikes fill the gap.

Charted head-to-head