Lehecka hunts Alcaraz in quest for career-high ranking in Doha

Jiri Lehecka is on the cusp of breaking new ground this week at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha.

The 23-year-old has stormed into 2025 with an 11-2 record, clinching his second tour-level title in Brisbane and reaching the Australian Open fourth round before falling to record 10-time champion Novak Djokovic. Now at No. 25 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Lehecka will be on the brink of surpassing his career high of World No. 23 with a quarter-final win on Thursday in Doha. His opponent? Carlos Alcaraz.

The Spaniard leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 1-0, having defeated Lehecka en route to the ATP 500 title at Queen’s Club in 2023.

“It was his first ATP tournament on grass," Lehecka recalled to ATPTour.com in Doha. "I had played Stuttgart before, so I felt like I was in good form. I must say that I was very surprised by his level, how extremely well adapted he was playing on grass. I [knew] that he liked to play on hard courts, definitely on clay, but grass, I felt like it could have been his worst surface. Immediately he proved me wrong. He showed his skills, that he can bring his top game also on grass.”

A lot has changed since that meeting in 2023. Now a two-time tour-level champion, Lehecka has amassed a total of six wins against Top-10 opponents. While the Czech player suffered a four-month stint on the sidelines last year, which halted his momentum, he returned with more hunger than ever.

“I must say that the one [win] which is very special for me is when last year I was coming back from an injury — I didn't play for almost four months — and I beat [Daniil] Medvedev in Cincinnati in my second match after the comeback,” Lehecka said. “That was definitely one of the Top 10 wins I will remember for a long time. I don't want to say it was surprising for me, because I felt that I do have the level, but I did not really think about playing that well after not playing for four months.”

Lehecka has carried his form into 2025, where he tallied an eight-match win streak to start the season. He was forced to retire from his second round match in Rotterdam earlier this month, but will be hoping to use the practice hit he had with Alcaraz that week to his advantage when they step into battle on Thursday.

“We practised together two weeks ago in Rotterdam,” said Lehecka when asked of his relationship with Alcaraz. “We also practised together here in [Doha] at the beginning of the week. We all know each other, we follow the results. In the end, it's almost the same players every week, competing against each other. We know about each other, and we will see how it goes.”

If Lehecka can prevail in Thursday's clash in Doha, it will not be the first time he has defeated a Spanish superstar. At the ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid last year, Lehecka silenced a roaring home crowd to sink five-time champion Rafael Nadal in his final appearance at the event. The 23-year-old will look to draw on this experience as attempts another statement win, one which would end Alcaraz’s 12-match win streak at ATP 500 level.

“It was a great experience, because I wasn't only playing against Rafa, I was playing against 13,000 Spanish fans,” recalled Lehecka. “When I made a great shot, there was no one cheering for me, and when I hit a double fault, the whole arena erupted, which I must say, is understandable. When a legend like this announced that he will be playing in Madrid for the last time…

"Rafa was not in his prime when I played against him, but still, to play Rafa on clay in Madrid was a big challenge. It was a great memory, and I was very happy that I had a chance to share the court with him.”