Match Reaction
Lehecka on latest Masters 1000 run in Miami: ‘I’m a different player now’
Czech star reflects on reaching second Masters 1000 SF
March 26, 2026
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Jiri Lehecka will face Arthur Fils on Friday in Miami.
By Sam Jacot
Jiri Lehecka is back in the semi-finals of an ATP Masters 1000 event and this time, he arrives with a different perspective.
The 24-year-old Czech defeated Martin Landaluce to reach the last four at the Miami Open presented by Itau, marking his second appearance at this stage at Masters 1000 level after his breakthrough run in Madrid two years ago. Then, it was unfamiliar territory. Now, it feels like progress fulfilled.
“I think I’m a completely different player since that moment,” Lehecka said on Wednesday in Miami. “It was one of my first big tournaments where I went far. The match against Rafael Nadal in Madrid was a lifetime experience, but I still felt new in those late stages.”
That run included a statement win against Nadal, but it ended in frustration when Lehecka was forced to retire in the semi-finals against Felix Auger-Aliassime due to a back injury.
“Unfortunately, that week is still connected to my back injury,” Lehecka added. “It wasn’t pleasant. I wasn’t even able to walk after that last match where I had to retire, so that was very tough.”
Since then, Lehecka has added substance to his early promise. In 2025, he claimed a second tour-level title in Brisbane and reached further finals at Queen’s Club, Antwerp (2024) and Brussels, establishing himself as a consistent presence inside the Top 30.
“I’ve put myself in a position where I know I can stay around the Top 20,” Lehecka said. “From that spot, I felt I needed to put in more work to go further and get closer to the top 10. That became my goal.
“The difference now is that all the players know each other well. They know what to expect from me, and I know what to expect from them. We can prepare in a different way compared to facing someone new. This is something new for me, but at the same time it’s something I’ve been working toward for a long time. My game is there, and I believe I can go far in tournaments like this.”
Lehecka’s run in Miami has come in a draw defined by upsets. Top seed Carlos Alcaraz fell in the third round to Sebastian Korda, opening the field. The Czech, now up to No. 16 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, will next face 28th seed Arthur Fils, who advanced after defeating 22nd seed Tommy Paul.
For Lehecka, the results reflect a broader trend across the Tour.
“I think this shows that tennis is very strong right now, and all the guys are able to beat the top players,” Lehecka said. “Of course we don’t see this often, maybe once in many tournaments over the last 52 weeks, that it becomes this extreme, with me being the highest seed in a semi-final or quarter-final.
“But I think all the matches were played well. There were no injuries in the top half, so it just proves that tennis is in good hands and the level is very high, even outside the Top 5 or Top 10.”
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Lehecka ended the run of 20-year-old qualifier Landaluce in the quarter-finals and was full of praise for the Spaniard.
“I must say that I didn’t really feel comfortable in the match at all because Martin was playing very good tennis today,” Lehecka said on his 7-6(1), 7-5 win. “He was very aggressive and went for every chance he had. I really had to think my way through this match and was waiting for the right moment to break him on the break points.
“He was unbelievable. He was very aggressive and he played very well. I think it was a great match. He was dictating the pace most of the time, but from my side I was serving pretty well today. That really helped me through the match.”
Chasing his first Masters 1000 title, Lehecka will continue his journey on Friday when he meets Fils, who will take a 2-1 Lexus ATP Head2Head series lead into the clash.