Welcome to Locker Room Code, where ATP Tour players share the stories behind life on Tour. From unwritten rules and rookie mistakes to friendships and unforgettable moments, this series goes beyond the baseline. This week, Jiri Lehecka shares his behind-the-scenes stories. Read all instalments of Locker Room Code here.
For Jiri Lehecka, even a hard-fought battle on court can lead to a laugh in the locker room.
The 24-year-old Czech experienced that first-hand after facing Frances Tiafoe in Stuttgart this year, when the pair produced a high-quality contest before Lehecka prevailed in straight sets. What followed was an exchange that perfectly captured how quickly the competitive intensity of an ATP Tour match can give way to camaraderie.
“It’s actually a super funny story because we played at an incredible level,” Lehecka told ATPTour.com, referring to his 6-4, 7-6(4) win over Tiafoe. “We really played a very, very good match. It was, I must say, one of the best matches that I played — the level from both players. I beat him in a tie-break in the second set, did my interview and then came into the locker room.
“From the other end of the room I just heard, ‘F*** you, bro. F*** you’. I was like, ‘Oh my…’ So we started laughing. It was super nice. We were talking about the match, how it went, what we did well, what we did wrong, how the fans were cheering. In these moments, you can see how chill we actually are."
Tiafoe, one of the ATP Tour’s most outgoing and entertaining personalities, was clearly in no rush to let the Stuttgart contest get in the way of a good conversation. For Lehecka, the exchange was a reminder that players can push each other to their limits on court before sharing a laugh moments later.
The locker room is where that balance often comes into focus. While players use the space to prepare for matches and remain focused on their own campaigns, it is also somewhere they can put the competition aside, catch up with familiar faces and talk about life beyond tennis.
Jiri Lehecka in action against Frances Tiafoe at the BOSS Open. Photo: BOSS Open.
That can also mean simple conversation before a match, just like Lehecka experienced with Lorenzo Musetti in Madrid this year.
“I had a small chat with Lorenzo before our match in Madrid this year,” Lehecka recalled. “Just normal stuff, family stuff. We are not talking about how we are going to play and what we’re going to do… We are just waiting for the match and it’s just something that we do.
“There is still life outside of the sporting career, and that’s something that we’ve talked about before.”
Watch Lehecka vs. Musetti Madrid Highlights:
Those everyday interactions have become a more familiar part of life on Tour for Lehecka, who competed at the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2022. As he has gained experience on the ATP Tour, the Czech has also grown more comfortable building relationships with players he once knew primarily as opponents.
“I think that I was always a little bit quieter,” Lehecka said. “I wasn’t really talking much to other players when I was younger. With the guys from my country, that is different because we’ve known each other for a long time. But I think that I kind of found my way through more and more.
“You make some good connections, you make some good friends on Tour. Some guys who you like to see when you are in the locker room. That’s something very nice.”
Lehecka is now an established presence on Tour, but his own journey through the ranks was not always accompanied by a large group of countrymen at the highest level. That is one reason he appreciates having Jakub Mensik — three years younger than Lehecka — around.
By the time Lehecka was coming through, the former No. 4 player in the PIF ATP Rankings Tomas Berdych had already retired, leaving fewer established Czech players for him to turn to.
“I think that’s actually something that I was missing when I was coming through,” Lehecka said. “For me, Tomas Berdych retired two years before my first time playing US Open qualies. I think that there were many moments where I was just by myself on most of the things. I couldn’t ask anyone.
“I didn’t know Tomas personally back then. So I think it must have been nice for Jakub to come to the locker room and already know I was there, and also Tomas Machac was already there. So he wasn’t there by himself. It’s always nice to have some countryman with you, someone you can talk about other things with.”
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