British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

What is going on with Machac? Is there some backstory I've completely missed?

He looks as though he really doesn't want to be there, just going through the motions

He plays some wonderful shots and doesn't care

He play some really wild shots and doesn't care

Long may it continure as far as Toby is concerned but all the same, it's weird

6-2 to Toby

the addict wrote:

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Perhaps Machac has heard that Lehecka is through, and he doesn't want to play him.   

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 Could be but, seriously, it has to be something more fundamental - he's barely won a match recently - he withdrew form Wimbledon with a left foot injury

And I'm guessing it's still not healed properly - but he's here because he needs the money?

Tennpar wrote:

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He had that 'meltdown' (not my word) at the United Cup January last year when he retired from a match, which wasn't a fun watch, and doesn't seem to have been the same since

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 That had passed me by - thanks Tennpar

Machac suffered a tear in his left foot during his second-round match against Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros.

The injury failed to heal in time, causing him to miss Wimbledon.

He also dealt with an illness that forced a late withdrawal at the Italian Open in Rome, as well as lingering knee and ankle issues stretching back through previous seasons.

Basically, I think he is worn down by a series of injuries that arent healing and probably now getting to him mentally.

-- Edited by JonH on Sunday 30th of August 2026 08:32:41 PM

JonH wrote:

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Machá suffered a tear in his left foot during his second-round match against Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros.

The injury failed to heal in time, causing him to miss Wimbledon.

He also dealt with an illness that forced a late withdrawal at the Italian Open in Rome, as well as lingering knee and ankle issues stretching back through previous seasons.

Basically, I think he is worn down by a series of injuries that arent healing and probably now getting to him mentally.

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 Yes, I'd put about the tear in his foot and the injury issues which definitely seem to be a very good possiblity 

But the United Cup meltdown was a new one to me, which addes another dimension 

Whichever which way, it's unusual to see someone so 'going through the motions' - he's not upset about his body, he seems oblivious to it, oblivious to the match really, his head is completely elsewhere, it's just turning up, and swishing at a few balls, getting a cheque and going home