ATP Player News US Open
Lehecka on strategy and perspective ahead of Alcaraz showdown at the US Open
Lehecka, who beat Alcaraz this year in Doha, outlines focus and adjustments ahead of their US Open quarterfinal.
Jiri Lehecka enters a Grand Slam quarterfinal against Carlos Alcaraz with recent experience and renewed perspective. The No. 20 seed, who upset Alcaraz earlier this year at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, said he will rely on focus and his own strengths rather than a single tactical trick.
“No,” he joked at the end of his post-match press conference on Sunday. “I mean, of course, against a player like Carlos you need to bring your best, and it means that it’s not only about playing one particular shot, because he knows how to react. That’s his big weapon. You know, that he knows how to react when someone is playing well, when someone is playing this or that.
“So, you need to bring your best. You need to be well-focused through the whole match. That’s something what I will try to do, to play my game.”
This will be Lehecka’s second Grand Slam quarterfinal and his first since the 2023 Australian Open. He first signaled his potential as a 21-year-old, when he reached a major quarterfinal by toppling seeds Cameron Norrie and Félix Auger-Aliassime in only his fifth Grand Slam main draw. After rising steadily in the rankings, he stalled just outside the top 20 before an injury lay-off helped reframe his priorities.
“I think that I needed to grow up a little bit as a person,” Lehecka revealed after a four-set victory over Adrian Mannarino. “I’m more mature now, I think, and I think that’s also part of the game. You know, to realize that tennis isn’t everything, that there are also other things in life, and the way I see it is I think that we are kind of privileged that we have the chance to compete, you know, to do what we like, what we love, and to bring that in front of all the guys. But at the same time when I’m on the court, I’m not getting myself under more pressure than is necessary.”
“Back then I remember that 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.
“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, and I think all the players here at the biggest stage, they have the same.”
Lehecka also described adjustments to suit the surface at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and cited recent form that includes a first ATP 500 final at Queen’s Club and a three-set match with Alcaraz earlier this summer.
“In the last few years, I didn’t really feel myself in New York,” Lehecka told me after reaching the fourth round on Friday. “I didn’t really feel the surface was right for me. Hard courts are good, but at the same time I didn’t really like the bounces or how rough the surface is. It wasn’t fitting my game that much, so that’s why we were focusing this year in our preparation to adjust a few things, to work a little bit more on my forehand and how I approach the ball.
“I must say that the only performance where I wasn’t really feeling good was the first round against Borna, which, of course was a tough match because he’s a very experienced player. It was also a first-round match, so you never know what tot expect. Since that moment, I added a couple more practices and with every match I’m feeling better and better, so I’m very happy with the progress.”
“I must say that I’m very happy that I had a chance to play against him this year already twice…Of course, I know that he’s playing very good tennis. He’s moving very well. He can serve big. He knows everything. His game is complete, I would say.
“So, for me I will just try to stick to the weapons that I have, to the weapons which worked for me in these last two matchups. We will see, of course. We have never played each other on a Grand Slam stage. So that’s something new for me and for him as well, because we played each other only on, let’s say, smaller tournaments. I think that the match will be great, and I can’t wait for it.”
ATP Player News US Open
Fritz reflects on 0-10 run as Djokovic test looms in US Open quarter-final
Fritz reflects on his 0-10 run vs Djokovic as he readies for their US Open quarter-final clash.
Taylor Fritz acknowledged the scale of the task ahead as he prepares to face Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals of the 2025 US Open. Fritz enters the match having lost all 10 previous meetings with Djokovic, results that came between 2019 and 2024. This will be their fourth encounter at a Grand Slam; Djokovic beat Fritz at the Australian Open in 2024 and 2021 and at the US Open in 2023.
Their most recent meeting came at the Shanghai Masters in October last year, where Djokovic prevailed 6-4, 7-6(6) after saving a set point in a decisive second set.
Fritz reached the Flushing Meadows quarter-finals by defeating Emilio Nava, Lloyd Harris, Jerome Kym and Tomas Machac. Djokovic advanced by beating Learner Tien, Zachary Svajda, Cameron Norrie and Jan-Lennard Struff.
After his 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 fourth-round victory over Machac, Fritz put the head-to-head record into context. “I think the thing is, it’s spanned over so many years,” the world No 4 said.
“I think the first, probably like seven or eight times I played him, I wasn’t just a good enough player to have that much of a chance, unless I have like the best day ever and he has a bad day.
“Only the last couple times we’ve played I think I’ve been this, just better player that can, I’d say compete and have chances and last time we played, Shanghai, I had looks, I had set points in the second set, I really probably should have won the second, taken it to a third set.
“But yeah, think what makes it tough is he serves well, he serves aggressive on second serves. It’s tough to take advantage of his serve for how well he also returns and just is from the baseline, he backs it up incredibly well with the serve, so it’s tough to sometimes get on him the way that he’s I guess getting on you with the return.”
The 27-year-old also reflected on how to overturn a one-sided head-to-head. “I think the way to turn around is just to become a better player,” Fritz assessed.
“I think that Coco would probably say the same thing. I think she would probably tell me that she was just better at tennis when she started reversing the head-to-head.
“And for me, in my head I’m not thinking about all the losses I had to Novak when I was like… five years ago. I was nowhere near the level of player that I am now.
“What I’m thinking about, fresh in my mind is when we played at World Tour Finals (2022), that one, and the one in Shanghai last year. In those ones, I served for the set in the World Tour Finals, I had set point serving in Shanghai.
“I know that in the most recent matches we’ve had, there’s been looks and I just haven’t been able to make it happen in the important moments of those matches.
“And that’s what makes the best guys the best guys, is they’re not going to give it to you in those moments. You have to go and take it.”
Analytics & Stats ATP
Alcaraz Tops ATP Live Rankings as US Open Reshapes Standings
Alcaraz leads ATP Live Rankings at the US Open as several players climb and others fall. shifts now
Carlos Alcaraz has moved ahead of Jannik Sinner in the ATP Live Rankings as the US Open advances, while a number of players have gained or lost ground following results through the fourth round. Sinner remains No 1 in the official ATP Rankings, but the Live Rankings reflect points dropping from corresponding events 12 months earlier. The Italian lost 2,000 points after being crowned 2024 champion in New York, while Alcaraz lost only 50 points after a second-round exit last year. That swing leaves Alcaraz ahead and able to stay there if he outperforms Sinner at Flushing Meadows.
Current ATP top 10 (Before US Open):
1. Jannik Sinner – 11,480
2. Carlos Alcaraz – 9,590
3. Alexander Zverev – 6,230
4. Taylor Fritz – 5,575
5. Jack Draper – 4,440
6. Ben Shelton – 4,280
7. Novak Djokovic – 4,130
8. Alex de Minaur – 3,545
9. Karen Khachanov – 3,240
10. Lorenzo Musetti – 3,205
Alcaraz has already reached the quarter-final after defeating Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets in the fourth round, and he is yet to drop a set in the tournament. Sinner still has a last-16 match to play. World No 3 Alexander Zverev has exited the US Open and faces a potential slip in the Live Rankings; Taylor Fritz and Novak Djokovic would have to win the title to pass him.
Fritz and Djokovic meet in the quarter-final, with the winner to play either Alcaraz or Jiri Lehecka. Fritz was in danger of losing the American No 1 ranking to Ben Shelton after the tournament, but the sixth seed’s third-round retirement put an end to that battle. Fritz’s record against Djokovic stands at 0-10.
Djokovic began this sequence at No 7 and has climbed two places to No 5. A related Live projection lists:
1. Carlos Alcaraz – 9,940
2. Jannik Sinner – 9,680
3. Alexander Zverev – 5,930
4. Taylor Fritz – 4,675
5. Novak Djokovic – 4,430
Elsewhere, Jiri Lehecka has reached his first US Open quarter-final and is up six places to No 15, three spots ahead of Alexander Bublik who is up six. Felix Auger-Aliassime is projected to rise seven places to No 20 after defeating Zverev. Adrian Mannarino is +22 to No 55, Arthur Rinderknech is two spots below him after jumping 25 places, and Kamil Majchrzak becomes the new Polish No 1 at No 62 (+14). Jan Lennard Struff is up 46 places to No 98. Leandro Riedi is the biggest mover at +271 to No 164 with a career best of 117. Daniil Medvedev is down four places to No 17. Frances Tiafoe is projected to drop 12 places to No 29 and Jordan Thompson is set to slip 19 spots to No 57. Holger Rune (11) and Casper Ruud (12) retain their positions while Stefanos Tsitsipas is up one to No 27.
Analytics & Stats ATP US Open
Djokovic moves past Federer with ninth season of quarter-finals at Slams
Djokovic sets new mark with a ninth season reaching all four Slam quarter-finals at the US Open. now
Novak Djokovic added another entry to an already long list of Grand Slam milestones after a routine fourth-round win at the US Open moved him ahead of Roger Federer in a specific men’s singles record. The 24-time major champion defeated German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 at Flushing Meadows to secure a ninth season in which he has reached the quarter-finals at all four Slams.
Djokovic and Federer had been level on eight seasons for that achievement. Djokovic previously completed the set in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021 and 2023; Federer’s run came from 2005 to 2012. In each of those eight seasons Djokovic won at least one Grand Slam, a pattern that underlines the significance of the statistic, although he is yet to claim a major since his 2023 US Open title.
At 38 years and 94 days, Djokovic also became the fourth-oldest man to reach the US Open quarter-finals, behind Pancho Gonzalez (40), Ken Rosewall (39) and Jimmy Connors (39). Reflecting on Connors’ 1991 run, Djokovic said: “I remember that [Connors 1991] run. I was very, very young, so I don’t vividly remember it when it was happening,” he explained. “But in the years to come when I was growing up watching a lot of tennis, everyone was talking about that run being one of the most historic runs we had in the sport at any Slam.
“Jimmy Connors being one of the greatest tennis players of all time, greatest legends in general overall globally, but particularly in this tournament. He’s won it five times? He’s fired up the New York crowd like no other player has done in his career.
“Just being in the same discussion or same conversation with Jimmy is obviously a huge honour of mine.”
Djokovic now prepares to face fourth seed Taylor Fritz in the quarter-final as he chases a record-extending 53 Grand Slam semi-final. He holds a 10-0 head-to-head advantage over Fritz, their most recent meeting coming in the semi-final of the 2024 Shanghai Masters, which Djokovic won in straight sets. By reaching this US Open quarter-final Djokovic will rise two places to return to No 5 in the ATP Rankings, with Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Fritz ahead of him. A semi-final would move him past Fritz, while a title run would lift him to No 3.
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