By Simon Jennings
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Jiri Lehecka credited a life-changing moment in a hospital during injury rehabilitation for helping him reach his second Grand Slam quarter-final at the U.S. Open on Sunday with a more mature mindset.
The Czech 20th seed will face Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday after defeating Adrian Mannarino 7-6(4) 6-4 2-6 6-2, setting up a rematch with a player he has beaten earlier this year in the last eight at Doha.
“Of course, he’s one of the two biggest challenges right now in tennis,” Lehecka said of the five-times major winner. “We’ve never played each other on a Grand Slam stage.”
But it was Lehecka’s reflection on personal growth that provided the most compelling insight into his development since reaching his first major quarter-final at the 2023 Australian Open.
The 23-year-old revealed how a hospital visit during injury treatment last year had fundamentally shifted his perspective on tennis and life.
“I was coming for a treatment to the hospital, and I saw little kids who were very, very sick, and they were enjoying life, and I was, like, feeling like that it’s the end of the world for me, and I can’t play, only because my back hurts,” Lehecka explained.
“That was the moment when I really, like, something switched. Since that moment I kind of feel that, of course, I love to win. I like to play the game. It’s something I wake up every morning with the goal to improve.
“But at the same time when I’m on the court, I’m not getting myself under more pressure than is necessary.”
Lehecka enters the New York quarter-final with a win over Alcaraz under his belt but also a loss in the Queen’s Club final to trail 1-2 in their head-to-head meetings.
“Against a player like Carlos you need to bring your best,” he said. “You need to be well-focused through the whole match. That’s something I will try to do, to play my game.”
(Reporting by Simon Jennings in New York; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
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