Jiří Lehečka reached the title match of the ATP Masters 1000 Miami Open in dominant fashion and is set to clash with the second seed, Jannik Sinner. The Czech star, who entered the tournament as the 21st seed, recently shared how his humble upbringing balanced and shaped his mindset as he entered professional tennis.
Jiří Lehečka Reflects on His Upbringing Ahead of the Miami Open Final
Lehečka delivered impressive performances at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., surpassing Moise Kouame in the round of 64, Ethan Quinn in the round of 32, and Taylor Fritz in the round of 16 before defeating Martin Landaluce in the quarterfinals. In the semifinal round, he overcame Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-2.
He is set to clash against Sinner in the title match. The Italian entered the Miami Open after winning his maiden Indian Wells title and leads their head-to-head 4-0. The Miami Open final marks their fifth career meeting; their last clash was in the third round of the 2025 French Open.
During his Miami Open press conference, the Czech star shed light on his journey into professional tennis. Lehečka was born in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic, and grew up with his parents and grandparents. His parents have sports backgrounds; his mother competed in track and field, and his father was a swimmer. Both later became teachers.
He grew up with his older sister, Veronika, and played multiple sports, including skiing, cycling, and swimming. He revealed his parents never forced or pressured him to play any sport, wanting him to pursue different interests. His parents’ home also had two tennis courts, and he began playing tennis with his mother and grandfather.
READ MORE: Jannik Sinner vs Jiří Lehečka Final Preview: Head-to-Head, Prediction for Miami Open 2026
Lehečka highlighted the significance of his parents’ role, saying, “I must say that me and my sister, we are from an humble family. My parents have never been like these ambitious parents, who had their kid and they saw the kid being 9 years old, and they saw it, the kid being 18 and winning Grand Slams. That wasn’t my parents. They wanted me to do sports because it’s a good thing to do, because it’s healthy and because it’s a good lifestyle.”
Lehečka, whose tennis idol is Swiss legend Roger Federer, reflected positively on reaching the elite platform of tennis with a balanced, stress-free childhood. His team consists of coach Michal Navrátil, fitness coach Radek Štepánek, and physiotherapist Carlos Manuel Baptista Carvalho.
