Jiri Lehecka has taken the ATP Tour by storm over the past four months. After reaching the championship match at the Next Gen ATP Finals, the Czech has sprinted forward with his momentum.

The 21-year-old defeated former World No. 2 Alexander Zverev at the season-opening United Cup and gained momentum from there. Lehecka battled to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, where he upset three current or former Top 10 stars: Felix Auger-Aliassime, Cameron Norrie and Borna Coric.

The son of former professional athletes — father Jiri was a professional swimmer and mother Romana a track-and-field athlete — has the firepower to go blow for blow with some of the best players on Tour.

ATPTour.com caught up with Lehecka in Miami to learn more about his personality off the court.

If you could choose any three people to go to dinner with, who would they be and why?
Michael Jordan, Conor McGregor and Elon Musk. I think that these three guys are on the top of the game at what they do. They know how to do it, they’ve proven it. I think they’ve fulfilled their dreams.

If you could switch places with one person in the world who would it be and why?
That’s a tricky question! I would say I would love to be Rafa for a day when he plays a match on Court Philippe Chatrier in Paris. Of course it’s a Grand Slam, so it’s a great tournament to win. For sure it’s one of the dreams. But I think that for him, he is one of these guys where it just feels like he can’t lose there.

What is your favourite non-tennis memory?
Probably for now jet-skiing with my fitness coach in Dubai. First time. I enjoyed it a lot. I would be able to do it all day.

What is something interesting fans might not know about you?
I don’t know, honestly. I think that I’m just your typical man. I hate spicy foods. I can’t, I just can’t. I love pasta, Italian food. All the entrees, appetizers. I can eat it all day, all week, all month, maybe all year.

What’s your favourite pasta?
Penne for sure and tortellini with tomato sauce all the time. Tomato sauce [on pasta] by itself is quite a good one, I like that.

If you can achieve one thing in your career, what would it be?
To win a Grand Slam and to win every Grand Slam at least once.

What’s the coolest thing you’ve gotten to do because you’re a tennis player?
I think it would have been in Kitzbühel last year, we had a chance to go paragliding. But I was too scared to do that, so I chose not to do it. I don’t really know if there is something really crazy for me to do because I’m a tennis player.

I had a chance to see the Burj Khalifa. Stuff where for example I wouldn’t be able to go there if it wouldn’t be for tennis. Tennis opened for me the path to see things: the Empire State Building in New York, the Miami Heat game yesterday.

How much do you like basketball?
I’m not the biggest fan. It was my first time being at an NBA game, but it was quite an experience. I liked it.

What was your pinch-me moment on the ATP Tour?
Last year when I achieved my win against Lorenzo [Musetti] in Rotterdam, which meant that I would be in the Top 100.

While teenage World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz is deservedly commanding the attention of the tennis world, 21-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner is quietly building an impressive season of his own.

In defeating Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-4 Sunday night to reach the fourth round of the Miami Open presented by Itau, the former Next Gen ATP Finals champion moved to 18-4 on the season, his fastest start ever to a season.

Beginning with his title run in Montpellier, Sinner has won 14 of his past 16 matches and last week reached the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open before falling to Carlos Alcaraz.

In a match in which both players hit double the number of unforced errors to winners, Sinner’s victory was underpinned by his dominance of the second serve of Dimitrov, who won just seven of 26 points that began with his second delivery.

“It’s the first time I have played in the evening. I can be very happy with my returning game, especially on second serves, when I tried to be very aggressive,” Sinner said. “He’s such a talented and intelligent player, so I am very happy about how I played today.”

Sinner reached the Miami final (l. Hurkacz) on debut in 2021 and last year reached the quarter-finals before retiring after five games against Francisco Cerundolo. He now boasts a 10-2 record in south Florida.

Sinner, who has risen to No. 10 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, next faces Andrey Rublev, who is at No. 6 in the live rankings.

World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev is through to the fourth round in Miami for the loss of just three games following the withdrawal of Alex Molcan from their scheduled third-round match Monday.

Medvedev had a bye in the first round and dismissed Roberto Carballes Baena 6-1, 6-2 in his opening match. On Sunday Molcan withdrew from the tournament with a right hip injury.

Medvedev, who has won 20 of his past 21 matches, will next face the winner of Frenchman Quentin Halys and American Mackenzie McDonald. He is seeded to meet 2021 Miami champion Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals and second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-finals. Should he make it to the final, Medvedev could face a BNP Paribas Open final rematch with World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

Medvedev has won four of the six ATP Masters 1000 hard court events, triumphing in Cincinnati (2019), Shanghai (2019), Paris/Bercy (2020) and Toronto (2021). Medvedev’s runner-up finish in Indian Wells last Sunday leaves Miami as the only hard court Masters 1000 at which he has not reached the final.

Carlos Alcaraz enjoyed a memorable day on and off the court Sunday at the Miami Open presented by Itau. After defeating Dusan Lajovic 6-0, 7-6(5), the World No. 1 enjoyed two meetings with celebrities.

Straight off the court inside Hard Rock Stadium, the 19-year-old caught up with NBA superstar Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat. Butler, who also watched Alcaraz play in Buenos Aires earlier this year, had plenty of praise for the Spaniard.

“He’s always poised. He’s never rattled and more than anything, it looks like he’s having so much fun out there,” Butler told ATPTour.com. “I think whenever you have fun and you have that mentality that you know you’re the best, you go out there and you play as though you’re the best, results happen and he’s not No. 1 for no reason.”

Later on, Alcaraz posed for photographs with Dominican singer Natti Natasha. The defending champion in his press conference explained how “great” it feels to see celebrities enjoy watching him perform.

^{Natti Natasha and Carlos Alcaraz. Photo: Andrew Eichenholz/ATP Tour}
“I feel a little bit nervous when I see a person like Jimmy, celebrities, when I was playing, like in the US Open. For me it’s unbelievable,” Alcaraz said. “In certain ways I can’t believe that these people enjoy watching my matches for me. It’s crazy.”

Alcaraz will play Tommy Paul for a place in the Miami quarter-finals.

Austin Krajicek and Nicolas Mahut’s seamless transition from doubles rivals to partners continued Sunday at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

Playing their first tournament as a pair, Krajicek and Mahut defeated Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez 6-3, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals at the ATP Master 1000 event. The unseeded duo, which is competing together this week because Krajicek’s usual partner, Ivan Dodig, is out with an injury, backed up its first-round upset of Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in style on Court 7.

Their triumph against Brazil’s Matos and Spain’s Vega Hernandez was based on a high-class serving performance. Krajicek and Mahut sent down 10 aces, won 81 per cent (30/37) of points behind their first delivery and saved four of five break points they faced in their 90-minute triumph.

It was a 450th tour-level doubles victory for Mahut, who lifted the Miami trophy in 2016 alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert. He and Krajicek’s next opponents at Hard Rock Stadium will be Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni or Marcelo Melo and John Peers.

Editor’s Note: Daniil Medvedev has been given a walkover into the fourth round by Alex Molcan (right hip)

The third round draws to a close Monday at the 2023 Miami Open presented by Itau, where a host of top names are in action as they try to extend their run at the second ATP Masters 1000 event of the year.

After a bye and a walkover, respectively, in the opening two rounds, second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas takes to court at Hard Rock Stadium for the first time this year against Cristian Garin. The in-form Daniil Medvedev plays Alex Molcan, while Felix Auger-Aliassime meets 2022 semi-finalist Francisco Cerundolo.

With 2021 champion Hubert Hurkacz and home favourite Frances Tiafoe also in third-round action, ATPTour.com previews an intriguing Day 6 in southern Florida.

View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw | View Schedule

[2] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs. [Q] Cristian Garin (CHI)

Consistency has been the name of the game for Tsitsipas in recent years at Hard Rock Stadium. The Greek has reached at least the fourth round in each of the past three tournament editions, including a career-best quarter-final showing in 2021.

With his run-in to this year’s event hampered by an ongoing shoulder issue, Tsitsipas will have been grateful for the extra two days preparation for his Miami bid after Richard Gasquet withdrew from the pair’s second-round clash. The Greek’s third-round meeting with Garin will open the day’s play inside the Stadium court, where he will seek to bounce back from his opening-round defeat in Indian Wells.

“Everything is getting better and I’m heading toward the right direction,” said Tsitspas earlier this week. “[I hope] to play pain-free and just be able to step out there and show something different than Indian Wells because Indian Wells was a big struggle… I hope I get to play with more of an element of fun on the court and not think too much about my arm.”

Tsitsipas’ match fitness will likely be put to a stern test by the in-form Garin. The former World No. 17 won through qualifying before reaching the fourth round in Indian Wells, and now has the opportunity to match that achievement in Miami by upsetting Tsitsipas.

The Chilean’s ability to make an impact against the second seed’s huge serve will be a key factor in fast conditions in Miami, where the Chilean had not won a main-draw match prior to this year. He will also hope for similarly raucous support to that he enjoyed from the stands during his second-round win against Sebastian Baez as he chases his first tour-level win against Tsitsipas in three attempts.

“Ole, ole, ole, ole, Chile, Chile!” 🔊🇨🇱

Santiago style support inspires in-form @Garin_Cris to a 7-6(2), 6-3 triumph against Baez @MiamiOpen | #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/34DiO8vCmC

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 25, 2023

[4] Daniil Medvedev vs. Alex Molcan (SVK)

Daniil Medvedev may have had his 19-match winning streak snapped by Carlos Alcaraz in the Indian Wells final, but the 27-year-old rediscovered his rhythm in style on Saturday night in Miami. The fourth seed dropped just three games against Roberto Carballes Baena to set a first ATP Head2Head meeting against Molcan.

Medvedev’s recent red-hot run was heavily based on his world-class retrieval skills around the baseline. Against Carballes Baena, however, there were signs that the faster conditions in Miami will enable Medvedev to hit through opponents more regularly — he struck 18 winners past the Spaniard in his quickfire win, and he will hope to put Molcan’s defence to a similar test on Monday.

The World No. 56 Molcan is competing in Miami for the first time this year, and the 25-year-old dug deep to outlast Jordan Thompson and 28th seed Yoshihito Nishioka in his opening two matches. The Slovakian has now equalled his best Masters 1000 showing, which he set in Indian Wells just two weeks ago, but will have to notch his career-best win against the World No. 5 Medvedev if he wants to go one better in South Florida.

[5] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) vs. [25] Francisco Cerundolo (ARG)

A rematch of their recent Indian Wells third-round match will see the fifth-seeded Auger-Aliassime take on 2022 semi-finalist Cerundolo. The Canadian prevailed 7-5, 6-4 in California two weeks ago, his second victory against the Argentine this year after a four-sets win at January’s Australian Open.

Both players enjoyed straight-sets victories in their opening matches at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, although Auger-Aliassime was forced to dial in on serve to down Thiago Monteiro in a pair of tie-breaks. The World No. 6 has reached the quarter-finals at the past six ATP Masters 1000 events, proving himself one of the most consistent performers on some of the ATP Tour’s biggest stages.

The 22-year-old will trust his precise serve and powerful forehand to do the damage as he tries to move past a player who now holds a 6-1 record in Miami. Cerundolo will hope that his opening win against Aleksandar Kovacevic, as well as memories of his run to a first Masters 1000 semi-final from a year ago, can inspire him to a third Top 10 career victory.

Also In Action…

Besides Alcaraz, Hubert Hurkacz is the only former champion left in the Miami draw. The 2021 titlist plays Adrian Mannarino, who took out #NextGenATP American Ben Shelton in the second round, on Grandstand.

Jiri Lehecka’s impressive form in Miami will be put to the test by 14th seed Karen Khachanov on Court Butch Buchholz. The 21-year-old Czech is yet to drop a set on event debut at Hard Rock Arena.

The other third-round clashes on Monday’s schedule all involve home favourites. The 12th-seeded Frances Tiafoe faces the hard-hitting Lorenzo Sonego, Mackenzie McDonald meets Quentin Halys, and qualifier Christopher Eubanks will try to extend his dream run against Gregoire Barrere.

Carlos Alcaraz continued his ‘Sunshine Double’ quest in style Sunday, overcoming Dusan Lajovic 6-0, 7-6(5) to reach the fourth round at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

Arriving off his title run in Indian Wells, the World No. 1 has quickly adapted to the faster conditions in Miami, where he is the defending champion. In a high-quality performance, the top seed overpowered Lajovic with his relentless aggression on return and he demonstrated incredible agility to cover the court and repel attacks from the Serbian.

The Spaniard, who hit 27 winners to Lajovic’s eight, recovered from failing to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second set against Lajovic, recomposing himself to seal his eighth consecutive straight-sets win on his fourth match point in one hour and 31 minutes.

“I feel fast on court, I am moving well,” said Alcaraz, who is now 16-1 on the season. “I am happy with the variety I am playing [with]. Lots of shots. I am enjoying every single second out there.”

The 19-year-old needs to lift his fourth ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Miami to prevent Novak Djokovic from replacing him as No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. He will continue his title defence against Tommy Paul.

Making his third appearance in South Florida, Alcaraz holds fond memories at the hard-court event. He defeated Casper Ruud in last year’s final, dropping just one set en route to the trophy.

Paul reached the fourth round in Miami for the first time with a 6-3, 7-5 victory against Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The American, currently No. 18 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, has enjoyed an impressive season, highlighted by his run to the semi-finals at the Australian Open in January.

Did You Know?
The 19-year-old Alcaraz will become the youngest man to win the coveted ‘Sunshine Double’ with another title run in Miami. Roger Federer was the last man to win the ‘Sunshine Double’ in 2017.

Holger Rune has had no trouble settling in to his main-draw debut at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The seventh-seeded Dane notched his second consecutive straight-sets victory on Sunday by seeing off Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 6-2 to book his spot in the fourth round at the ATP Masters 1000 event. Up against the resilient Schwartzman for the first time, Rune converted all four break points he earned to seal a 92-minute victory and quieten the vociferous Argentine support on Court Butch Buchholz.

“It was very important [to get in front early],” said Rune after the match. “Diego is very strong… My focus was really to be strong every time I played to put him under pressure, and I did that very well. I’m super happy at how composed I stayed today.”

Rune around 🏃‍♂️🌪@MiamiOpen debutant @holgerrune2003 delights the Danish fans with a 6-4, 6-2 masterclass#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/abEZec5hku

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 26, 2023

Prior to the tournament, Rune had spoken of his desire to create positive memories at Hard Rock Stadium after he was forced to retire injured during qualifying last year. The 19-year-old has certainly started well in chasing that goal in Florida, where he overcame Marton Fucsovics in his opening match.

Rune’s all-around game appeared in good working order against Schwartzman. His powerful forehand was instrumental in the Dane finishing with 25 winners to Schwartzman’s eight. Rune’s break of the Argentine’s serve in the opening game of the match proved enough to ultimately clinch the first set and he then broke three more times in the second as the World No. 8’s razor-sharp returning proved too much for Schwartzman to handle.

“It’s 30 degrees… So it was going to be very tough physically [if I didn’t stay on the front foot],” said Rune. “My focus was really to step in every time I could and play my game. I think there were a few rallies where I didn’t, but 95 per cent of the match was played on my terms, which was what I wanted.

“I’m super happy that I was able to break him and I only got broken once, because he is super strong as a return player.”

Clinical performance 👏@holgerrune2003 executes some very attacking 🎾 as he moves on in Miami 📈#TennisInsights | @atptour | @MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/DffAhUNijo

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) March 26, 2023

Rune, who lifted his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown at the Rolex Paris Masters in November, will meet ninth seed Taylor Fritz or 24th seed Denis Shapovalov next in Florida. The teenager is now 14-6 for the season as he looks to back up his stellar 2022, when he lifted his first three ATP Tour trophies and cracked the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time.

Four sets played, four sets won for Andrey Rublev at this year’s Miami Open presented by Itau.

On Sunday, the sixth seed backed up his opening-round victory against J.J. Wolf by dispatching Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 6-1, 6-2 to reach the fourth round at the hard-court ATP Masters 1000 event.

In a dominant display, Rublev timed his forehand cleanly throughout the 58-minute clash, striking the ball through 2022 quarter-finalist Kecmanovic on the fast courts to improve to 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series.

Rublev’s fourth-round opponent will be Jannik Sinner or Grigor Dimitrov. Rublev is a 12-time tour-level titlist, a tally which includes five ATP 500 crowns, but is chasing his first Masters 1000 title in Florida.

The 25-year-old arrives in Miami off the back of a fourth-round exit in Indian Wells. His best result at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami came in 2021, when he reached the semi-finals.