In a surprising turn of events at the Qatar Open, top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz of Spain faced an unexpected defeat against Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic. The match, held on Thursday, concluded with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, marking only Alcaraz's second loss this year.
The 21-year-old Spaniard, currently ranked third globally, has shown remarkable performance throughout the season, including a recent victory at the Rotterdam Open. His previous defeat in 2025 came at the hands of Novak Djokovic during the Australian Open quarterfinals.
Post-match, Alcaraz expressed his bewilderment, stating, \"I've talked with my team, with my coach, and honestly I don't know what I could have done better. It was kind of a difficult feeling, I guess. I have to give credit to him as well, because when he was down, especially in the third set, he didn't give up.\" Despite leading 4-2 in the third set and having a break point opportunity, Alcaraz was unable to capitalize, allowing Lehecka to secure the next three games and advance to the semifinals.
Jiri Lehecka, now ranked 23rd, will face eighth-seeded Jack Draper of Great Britain next, following Draper's victory over Matteo Berrettini of Italy. Lehecka commented on his victory, saying, \"The match was up and down since the beginning. So for me to win a match like that against a player like this is a super big achievement. I believed in myself. I knew that I had the level to produce that kind of tennis. I didn't back down. I wanted to push him to his limits. The way I trusted my game was the key today.\"
Earlier in the tournament, fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev of Russia overcame second-seeded Alex de Minaur of Australia in a tight three-set match to earn his fourth semifinal appearance in Doha. Rublev will now compete against Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime, who advanced after Daniil Medvedev retired due to illness.
Reference(s):
Carlos Alcaraz stunned by Jiri Lehecka in Qatar Open quarterfinals
cgtn.com
