Lehecka & Felix's huge opportunity in Madrid

Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour

A Mutua Madrid Open semi-final between 30th seed Jiri Lehecka and Felix Auger-Aliassime was not the most likely outcome at the Caja Magica. But now that both men are in the last four at the Spanish ATP Masters 1000 event, they have a huge opportunity to surge in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Lehecka, a 22-year-old rising star from the Czech Republic, entered the Madrid event at World No. 31. He has already surged to No. 22 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, one spot above his career high, and has a big chance to ascend even higher.

If the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF runner-up defeats Auger-Aliassime on Friday, he will climb to No. 20 in the Live Rankings (current No. 20 Adrian Mannarino is playing an ATP Challenger Tour event and can pass him). A maiden ATP Masters 1000 title would propel Lehecka to a career-high World No. 17 after he missed the start of the clay-court season due to a right vertebra injury.

The final 4️⃣ in the Spanish capital 👀@MutuaMadridOpen | #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/KoGkc6IliV

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 2, 2024

It has been a memorable tournament for Lehecka, who defeated five-time champion Rafael Nadal in the fourth round.

“It's a great feeling, honestly. To play my first clay-court event of the year, Masters 1000, and to be in the semis is just great for me. It's just something what I wished for for a long time after last year where I didn't really play well in Masters 1000 events,” Lehecka said. “I don't want to say that I was a bit shy to compete well or to play my best tennis. I gained some important experience, which helped me in the matches like against Rafa and against these kind of matchups.

“I’m happy that also after Indian Wells this year I managed to play well [at] another Masters 1000 event, and it's a very important milestone for me to play my first semi-final.”

The stakes are just as high for Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian arrived in Madrid with an 11-10 record for the season and at World No. 35, just 16 months after he was a career-high World No. 6.

The 23-year-old has already made a 10-spot jump in the PIF ATP Live Rankings to No. 25 by advancing to the semi-finals. He can make the same leap as Lehecka — Felix would be the live No. 20 by making his first Masters 1000 final and No. 17 if he lifts the trophy.

In the other half of the draw, seventh seed Andrey Rublev will play 12th seed Taylor Fritz in a battle of former Masters 1000 champions.

Rublev, the 2023 Monte-Carlo titlist, can climb to World No. 6 by winning the title. Fritz, the 2022 Indian Wells winner, can move to World No. 11 by lifting the trophy. He has already reclaimed American No. 1 status from Ben Shelton, who is live No. 14.