Two-time Olympic champion Marcel Hirscher, the first Alpine skier to win eight overall World Cup titles, is retiring after 12 seasons.
Hirscher, who won Olympic gold in giant slalom and Alpine combined in Pyeongchang in 2018, announced his decision live on national TV in Austria on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old Austrian says "my decision is two weeks old. I think it is good the way it is. This feels right."
Austria's ski star Marcel Hirscher speaks during a press conference announcing the end of his skiing career in Salzburg, Austria, Wednesday, Sept.4, 2019. (AP PhotoKerstin Joensson)
Hirscher's retirement is no surprise.
At last season's World Cup Finals in March, he openly questioned his own motivation to chase more titles, after expressing similar doubts a year ago.
After marrying long-term girlfriend Laura Moisl and becoming a father in the offseason in 2018, he said "blue and red are not the most important things in life," referring to the colors of the gates in a slalom race.
Austria's ski star Marcel Hirscher speaks during a press conference announcing the end of his skiing career in Salzburg, Austria, Wednesday, Sept.4, 2019. (AP PhotoKerstin Joensson)
Hirscher dominated the sport for a decade, breaking records along the way. No other male skier has won more than five overall titles.
Hirscher rarely competed in super-G and didn't race a single downhill in his World Cup career, but excelled in slalom and GS and won a total of 12 season titles in the technical disciplines.
Hirscher won 67 of his 245 World Cup races, trailing only Ingemar Stenmark (86) and Lindsey Vonn (82) on the all-time list.
He also won 14 medals at major championships, including nine golds.
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SYDNEY (AP) — Poland bounced back from two consecutive runner-up finishes to win the United Cup after Jan Zielinski and Katarzyna Kawa beat Jakub Paul and Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-3 in the deciding mixed doubles match to complete a 2-1 comeback victory over Switzerland on Sunday.
Earlier, Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz beat Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to even the final after Belinda Bencic rallied from a set down to stun No. 2-ranked Iga Świątek 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, giving Switzerland a surprise lead.
Hurkacz was playing in a tournament for the first time in seven months after knee surgery sidelined the former No. 6-ranked player. He won four of his five singles matches, including victories over Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz.
Those triumphs will help ease the pain of defeats in the final over the past two years with a loss to Zverev in 2024 after the Polish player lost two championship points and another last year to Fritz in a tiebreaker.
“Finally, we made it — third time lucky,” said Świątek at the trophy presentation. “I really felt it was a team effort this year. Hubi, what a comeback after so many months. You played amazing. You inspired us all with determination. I feel you improved every part of our game. Our doubles team, wow! You just beat everyone. It was amazing.”
Bencic, who had won all four of her singles and four mixed doubles matches this week, came into her match against Świątek having lost her last five matches against the former No. 1-ranked player.
It looked as if that trend was going to continue as Świątek started strongly and claimed the opening set 6-3 at Ken Rosewall Arena.
But the No.11-ranked Bencic shifted the momentum by winning nine consecutive points to open the second, evening the match in a swift 33-minute set.
The decisive third set hinged on a crucial break at 2-1, where Bencic capitalized on a powerful forehand to seize control. While Swiatek fought to save two match points with consecutive aces, her effort was hampered by an uncharacteristic 36 unforced errors, compared to just 10 from Bencic.
Bencic sealed the win with a sublime backhand winner into the open court on her third match point.
“To be honest, I felt I was in the match from the very first point,” Bencic said. “I thought I was going great and I was 0-3 down. I was ‘OK, what do I have to do.’ I think I just tried to keep the level and just wait for some chances.”
“I think the difference today was I played very freely, I was really enjoying myself out on the court and I was just really going for it.”
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Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, left, and Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland meet at the net after Hurkacz won their final match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Teammembers from Poland celebrate with their trophy after defeating Switzerland in the final at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Belinda Bencic, right, and Jakub Paul of Switzerland compete against Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski of Poland in the doubles final match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Katarzyna Kawa, left, and Jan Zielinski of Poland celebrate after defeating Belinda Bencic and Jakub Paul of Switzerland in the doubles final match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Teammembers from Poland celebrate with their trophy after defeating Switzerland in the final at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Iga Swiatek of Poland hits a forehand to Belinda Bencic of Switzerland during their final match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, right, and Iga Swiatek of Poland meet at the net after Bencic won their final match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Iga Swiatek of Poland Belinda reacts after missing a shot to Belinda Bencic of Switzerland during their final match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Belinda Bencic of Switzerland celebrates defeting Iga Swiatek of Poland in their final match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, left, celebrates with teammate Stan Wawrinka after defeting Iga Swiatek of Poland in their final match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
