Jiri Lehecka

[Kamileki]

[Kamileki]

[Kamileki]

[Damian]

[Damian]

#NextGenATP Czech Lehecka Advances In Stockholm

Spoiler:

#NextGenATP Czech Jiri Lehecka earned his first tour-level win since July on Tuesday, when he edged Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(5) to reach the second round at the Stockholm Open.

The 20-year-old, who is making his debut in Stockholm, held his nerve in the crucial moments against Dimitrov as he recovered from squandering a break advantage in the third set to triumph after two hours and 25 minutes.

Lehecka will be aiming for a deep run at the ATP 250 event as he looks to increase his chances of qualifying for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held from 8-12 November. He is currently seventh in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Milan on 630 points, more than 200 points ahead of Dominic Stricker, who is in 10th. With two weeks of the Race to go, the expected cut to qualify is 10th spot.

Lehecka will next face Emil Ruusuvuori after the Finn defeated Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-2.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/de-mina ... 22-tuesday

[Damian]

[Damian]

Nakashima, Lehecka Qualify For Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals

Spoiler:

American and Czech will compete at the Allianz Cloud from 8-12 November
Brandon Nakashima and Jiri Lehecka have qualified for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, joining Lorenzo Musetti, Holger Rune and Jack Draper. The 21-and-under season finale will be played at the Allianz Cloud in Milan from 8-12 November.

Nakashima will compete in the prestigious event for the second consecutive year after advancing to the knockout semi-finals last November.


In July, Nakashima cracked the Top 50 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time. The 21-year-old continued his ascent last month, when he won his first ATP Tour title in San Diego.

This California native has excelled on the big stage this year, reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon and the third round at both Roland Garros and the US Open. Nakashima is the youngest American in the world’s Top 100.


Lehecka broke into the spotlight early in the season at the ATP 500 in Rotterdam. Entering the week, the Czech player had not won an ATP Tour match. The qualifier battled to the semi-finals, defeating then-World No. 12 Denis Shapovalov along the way.

The effort helped the 20-year-old crack the world’s Top 100 for the first time. Lehecka reached a career-high World No. 59 in August.

The Czech also lifted an ATP Challenger Tour trophy on home soil in Liberec and made another Challenger final in Mauthausen, Austria.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nakashi ... lification

[Barty]

[Bombardiero]

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[Damian]

Lehecka Raring To Go In Milan Following 2021 Heartbreak

Spoiler:

Czech won an ATP Challenger Tour crown in August
For Jiri Lehecka, sporting success runs in the family. His father was a swimmer and his mother was a track and field star. While the Czech has long enjoyed skiing, swimming and running, tennis was always his first passion. Lehecka struck his first shots at three years old with his grandmother, who competed in tennis at a national level, before he turned professional in 2020.

Now the 20-year-old is No. 74 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and is ready to make his mark in the game after enjoying a breakthrough season on the ATP Tour that started in Rotterdam in February.

“For me, [Rotterdam] was an unbelievable week because I started the year pretty fine,” Lehecka told ATPTour.com. “I qualified in Australia. I lost in the first round in four sets, so the season was starting pretty well for me. Then I had two or three weeks where I didn’t play good tennis. I played bad and didn’t feel good on court. Then my coach joined me at Rotterdam. We did some improvements and hard work and in Rotterdam it was an unbelievable week. A little surprising, but I was enjoying every moment there.”

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In a confidence-boosting week, Lehecka came through qualifying at the ATP 500 event before he earned his maiden tour-level win against Denis Shapovalov in the first round. He then defeated Botic van de Zandschulp and Lorenzo Musetti before Stefanos Tsitsipas halted his run in the semi-finals.

“In qualifying I beat two good players. If you are playing qualifying at ATP Tour event it is not easy,” Lehecka said. “I beat Corentin Moutet in the final qualifying round. For me, the win against Lorenzo Musetti was the best. It was the win that got me into the Top 100. So all the matches were unbelievable for me and great experiences, but this match for me would be the top one. After I won I did not know I was in the Top 100, but the guy on the post-match interview said to me, ‘Congrats, this match you achieved Top 100’ and I was like ‘Wow, when? Unbelievable’.”


Having earned his place in the Top 100, Lehecka gained entry opportunities into more tour-level events. However, the 20-year-old, who also enjoys playing video games and hiking in the mountains, struggled to achieve his desired results in the weeks following Rotterdam.

Lehecka believes that was to be expected, though, as he adjusted to the increased demands the ATP Tour put on him.

“I am 20 years old so when I got into the Top 100 it had been an unbelievable thing,” said Lehecka. “I didn’t play my best tennis post-Rotterdam. I need to say that honestly, but it was mostly the experience for me. I was enjoying big tournaments for the first time in my life. I played qualifying in Monte Carlo, I won. I got into the main draw. A lot of these were first-time experiences and I was trying to get used to the level. I was trying to get used to all the stuff of being in the Top 100 and then I was trying to feel my game better and better.

“The guys on the ATP Tour, most are crazy experienced and they are so clever on the court. They are so consistent. They don’t give you many chances to build on, so it is very tough to play against them not with the tennis part but the mental part.”


It did not take long for Lehecka to regain his best level, though, with the Czech capturing an ATP Challenger Tour title on home soil in Liberec in August. Having grown up just 30 minutes from the town, the victory meant a lot to him.

“Liberec was a city I was playing when I was younger. I enjoyed it a lot there because there are a lot of people I know there,” Lehecka said. “It is 30 minutes away from my home in the car, so it is very convenient to play there. The fans were just unbelievable. The way they supported me the whole tournament and especially the semi-final and final was something unbelievable and I am so glad I got this experience to play there in front of my home crowd.

“I am so happy that in the Czech Republic we have five or six tournaments on the Challenger Tour and we are able to play there if we want some matches or if we want a home crowd. The Challenger Tour is very important part of everyone’s journey. I won my first Challenger last year in Finland. Winning my first Challenger title was one of the most important moments of my life. It is very important part of tennis.”



Having had his eyes set on competing at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals since the start of the season, Lehecka arrives in Milan determined to finish his breakthrough year strongly after missing out on qualifying in 2021.

“Last year I ended as the first alternate for the Next Gen Finals, so I chose to play another tournament instead of being an alternate, so that was a little bit unlucky,” Lehecka said. “When you have the chance to play the Next Gen Finals it means you had a good year, you gained some points which got you there. When I started my season in Australia this was for sure one of my big plans and dreams to qualify for this tournament."

Lehecka has fond memories of watching the event, having seen Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz soar to the title in Milan. The 20-year-old is hoping to follow in their footsteps and continue his journey to the top.

“I saw [the event] many times. I watched it from the beginning. Watching how the young guns are doing and playing,” Lehecka said. “For me, it is one of the greatest tournaments and it looks very nice. I am looking forward to it. Of course I will do everything I can to have my best results over there.

“For me to have a chance to be in this kind of position, Top 60, play Next Gen Finals is a big motivation for me. It shows me where I can be when I am 20, 21 years old. It gives me big motivation for the future. I am saying to myself, ‘Here I am now’ and I am really happy and curious to see where I will be when I am 25 or 26.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/jiri-le ... 22-feature

[Damian]

Lehecka On Dinner With Jordan & Rally Car Dreams

Spoiler:

Czech reveals passion for business
Jiri Lehecka couldn’t stop smiling when he sat down inside the Allianz Cloud ahead of his debut at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.

The Czech qualified for the 21-and-under event last month following an impressive season that saw him reach the semi-finals in Rotterdam and win an ATP Challenger Tour event. Ahead of his opening match in Milan, the 21-year-old Lehecka spoke to ATPTour.com about his interests, dream dinner guests and much more…

If you weren’t a tennis player, what job would you want and why?
I think I would go to business school first. Then I would probably still be in tennis. I would be in the sport as a coach or in a business role within the sport.

If you could have dinner with three people, who would they be and why?
I would choose Michael Jordan. Then I would choose Conor McGregor and probably my grandpa who [passed away].

I think Michael Jordan because of his sporting mentality. What things he was able to sacrifice for the success in what he was doing. McGregor, I would say that with him, I would love to speak about handling the pressure.

Describe your perfect day if you are not playing tennis?
I would probably spend some time with family. With my girlfriend, with my sister and her husband and their kids for sure. The I would see some old friends and then probably one or two games of League of Legends with my coach.

You May Also Like: Lehecka Raring To Go In Milan Following 2021 Heartbreak
Who has had the greatest impact on your life and why?
My coach, Michael Navratil. He showed me how it is to be a man, how to go after what you really want. How to stay focused. How to become a top tennis player. And then of course my parents, both of them.

What is one thing you want to do in your life?
I would definitely love to drive World Rally Cars. Or the cars going at fast speeds through the forest. I hope this will happen once for me to, to live this experience.

What is one item you can’t travel without and why? If you could live one day as another person, who would you choose and why?
Any kind of book. I think this is a very important thing to have. It is important to read.

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If you had to choose between attending a music concert or a sporting event, what would you choose and why?
It depends on the artist and the sporting event. Because if you have the final of the Champions League and at the same moment you have a concert with a big artist it is hard.

I think that big sporting events will have a priority. I was born and raised in a family where we were watching and followed all the sports when I was a kid. I like to support a Czech athlete. The sport could be an NBA game or game seven of the final of NHL would be good.

Have you got a hidden talent and can you tell me a bit about how you got into that?
I think that I can read through people. This I can do pretty well. I'm still exploring myself as well. I am 21, so still have plenty of time to find some hidden talents.

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[Damian]

[Damian]

Lehecka Earns Opening Win In Milan

Spoiler:

Czech moves to 1-0 in Green Group
Jiri Lehecka celebrated his 21st birthday in style at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals Tuesday when he cruised past Francesco Passaro 4-1, 4-3(7), 4-1 to move to 1-0 in Green Group.

The Czech is making his debut in Milan and made a strong opening statement at the 21-and-under event, quickly adapting to the first-to-four, best-of five set format to triumph after 67 minutes.

"I have never played a match in this format before," Lehecka said. "In the beginning I was getting used to it a little bit. I think I adapted well. We have used this format in practise and I got used to it pretty fast and it was fun."

Lehecka pulled Passaro around the court with his consistent groundstrokes, firing 18 winners and breaking serve three times. With just 15 seconds between points following aces or missed returns, he also raced through his service games to earn victory.

You May Also Like: Lehecka Raring To Go In Milan Following 2021 Heartbreak
The World No. 74 has enjoyed an impressive season. He reached the semi-finals as a qualifier in Rotterdam in February, before he clinched an ATP Challenger Tour crown in August.

Lehecka will also play American Brandon Nakashima and Matteo Arnaldi during the round-robin stage in Milan. Nakashima will face Arnaldi on Tuesday evening in Green Group.

Passaro held a 29-15 record on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2022, lifting a trophy in Trieste.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/lehecka ... 22-tuesday

[Damian]

Jiri Lehecka
The Czech, who is a two-time Challenger finalist this season, claimed his third Challenger title on home soil in Liberec, which propelled him to a career-high 59 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. In May, the 20-year-old finished runner-up at the Mauthausen Challenger (l. Rodionov).

“The Challenger Tour is a very important part of everyone’s journey,” Lehecka said. “I won my first Challenger last year in Finland, that was one of the best moments of my life so far.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/challen ... inals-2022

[Bombardiero]

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