MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

March 29, 2026

Jiri Lehecka

Press Conference

J. SINNER/J. Lehecka

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Congrats on an amazing tournament. You should be proud of yourself against this guy. How could you describe his serving when he needs a big serve? How do you describe it?

JIRI LEHECKA: Yeah, experience and confidence. I think that these two things kind of played a big role together today, and he proved that in the crucial moment of first set when I kind of felt that I had a chance to come back into the set, which was at Love-40 game, where I had a chance to break him back.

That was a moment where I kind of felt that he really served incredible. Five first serves. I felt that if he would play more second serve, I would kind of have a good chance to find my rhythm, and I will have a good chance to put him under pressure from these second serves, but I think that he kind of felt the same way, and he improved.

Since that moment, it was, yeah, super tough for me to put him under pressure in his service games.

Q. A couple questions. First, how were you able to make it closer than it obviously was at Roland Garros? Does it feel like you were close, or does it still feel like you're far away? And I'm curious how you know Jaromir Jagr.

JIRI LEHECKA: Yeah, so the first answer is, yeah, at our last meeting and last year's Roland Garros, I felt that these conditions were, like, extremely difficult for my game style. We played under the roof, Suzanne Lenglen, super-wet conditions, heavy balls.

I felt that he was the one who basically had all the weapons at that moment. I could not help myself with the serve. Every time I played a good shot back then, he just had plenty of time to counter it somehow.

Here, it was slightly different story. The conditions were a little bit heavier today, I felt, also because of the rain, which I think didn't help me that much, but yeah, that's just the way how it is.

And, yeah, the difference was there. Definitely I played a better match. I showed today better performance that back there in Paris, so I was focusing on not repeating the same mistake as back there, which kind of also meant just using my first serve as a weapon and going a little bit more to the net.

And, yeah, the second question, yeah, I must say that he's a good friend with family of my girlfriend, and so, yeah, it was in his plan to come to Florida. He just didn't know when. He was actually meant to be here a little bit earlier, but in the end, we were, like, okay, so let's just wait for the final. I made the final, and he came, and he was supporting me.

I just spoke to him right now before I went here. Yeah, it's always great to see such a sporting legend supporting you and kind of like having your back. That's something what means a lot to me.

Yeah, I think, yeah, that's the second answer.

Q. It's been a big week for you. What is the biggest thing, the one main priority that you take away from this tournament? Also, the transition now from hard court to red clay, it's not much of a turnaround time, so how are you feeling about that?

JIRI LEHECKA: Yeah, so I think that the consistency is one thing that I'm very proud of from this week, because I played many matches, different conditions, different players, different game styles.

The way how I was able to keep my, let's say, key weapons working through all these matches was just something what I was working towards in the last couple of weeks, months, let's say.

Yeah, so that's probably the thing. And also, my mental setup during these matches was something what I'm very happy about, the way how I was able to come back when it wasn't going my way. The match against Taylor, that was something what I'm very happy about, because I felt that I was a better player also in the second set a little bit, but then he kind of came back. He was the one who was dominating in the rallies. He won the tiebreak. And the way how I came back in the third set was just a good pushback from me. Yeah, so these things are the key factors in my game, and I was able to manage them the way I wanted to.

Yeah, the transition to clay, yeah, I mean, it's never easy, but we have that week off. I mean, me, I will definitely go straight to Monte-Carlo. I will not go to any other tournament which is being played I think right now, tomorrow it starts.

So then that doesn't make any sense. So, yeah, definitely, it's gonna be in a little bit rush, let's say. Normally I would take a little bit more time to prepare, but, I mean, it's fine. I made a final here, so I think that even the work on Monte-Carlo clay will be easier for me with that confidence that I bring with myself.

And at the same time, there is no better place where to start, you know, the year on clay than Monte-Carlo. That place is amazing, and I like to be there all the time when I can.

Yeah, every time there is tournament, I think it's also great to take some time before the tournament to use the country club and basically prepare well. The conditions are great, definitely, better than somewhere else in Europe.

Q. A great tournament. Obviously pretty lengthy rain delay after the first set. How were you kind of able to recuperate, mentally, tactically? Did you have time to chat with your team? How did you kind of reset? It looked like you played a pretty good level in the second set, especially for the first eight, nine games after the delay.

JIRI LEHECKA: Yeah, I think that we all kind of expected that the rain is going to come. We saw it yesterday. We saw the forecast. I think that we were not that happy about it. But at the same time, you know, the way how we started this tournament, we finish it in the same kind of meaning.

Yeah, it's never easy to continue to play, because there is something, you know, what you are going through at the moment, but at this moment, I think it helped me a little bit, because I felt that Jannik had that momentum. He was better player in the first set. That's for sure.

I mean, also in the second set, but I felt the way that he's pushing me more and more, and he's feeling that he has the chance to win also the first game of the second set.

So in that moment, I think that it kind of helped me to reflect on what was happening during the match. Definitely very important first game how I held the serve. That was a crucial beginning for me of the second set that kind of gave me a chance to make the set competitive.

Q. Congrats on your tournament. You had not lost any games with your serve before the final. How did it affect you when you lost the second game, like with the 1-1 when Sinner broke you?

JIRI LEHECKA: Yeah, I kind of felt that I hit the ball, Jannik played very good return games, and I felt during the whole match that he's putting more and more pressure on me.

So that wasn't easy. I mean, it was a good stat not to lose the serve until the final (smiling). It worked quite well.

But, yeah, the way how Jannik played in that game, I also did a couple of mistakes, but I knew it needs to come sometime. Of course I would love to hold my serve the whole year, but that's not possible.

But I don't really think it kind of affect me in the same way as any other break in any other match. But as I saw, and I think you guys also saw that the game after, I was able to, you know, keep calm. I was trying to get that break back, and I had three good chances.

Unfortunately, in that moment, we saw what kind of player Jannik is. Whenever I had the chance in the previous matches, no one played in these situations on level like Jannik did today.

Five consecutive first serves. I probably had just one chance to put the return in, which is the 30-40 point. Then two aces.

Yeah, I mean, I think it shows how great a player Jannik is, how he was able to come back in a crucial moment and how he was able to help himself with the serve.

Yeah, I wouldn't probably do anything differently in that moment. These three points I played really well. Yeah, I mean, what to do? He played well.

Q. Jannik's win today continues this long streak there has been in the ATP when both Alcaraz and Sinner play at a tournament, one of them has wound up winning the tournament. Goes back all the way back almost two years now, Madrid, 2024. Wondering if you and the other guys hope to stop that streak. How close do you think the field is to disrupting the two of them being the two kings of the tour, essentially, and what will it take for someone to break through and for the field to stop both of them at once?

JIRI LEHECKA: I mean, it's not the first time in tennis when we can see this happening (smiling). I think we saw this happening many times before with players with different names. But I think that it's great, actually.

I think it's very good for the sport, and I think it's also very good for us, because us, I mean, the rest of the tour, because it shows us the limits, and it shows us that we really need to improve our game and basically everything around to be able to kind of, like, you know, beat them not just once but to beat them on the biggest stages and beat them more than once, you know, (smiling).

I think it's great. I think that these matches like today against these guys are showing, for example, me that there is still big, big, big room for improvement. I played, in my opinion, very good tournament here. I was very satisfied with my game.

But today I again saw that there is still somewhere to go, and that I will really need to keep improving more and more if I want to be able to beat these guys in the final stages of these big events like Masters and Grand Slams, for example.

Yeah, that's it.