Jiri Lehecka split from his coach, Michal Navratil, after losing in the fourth round of Wimbledon.
The world number 14 defeated Alexei Popyrin, Alex Molcan, and Jaume Munar at Wimbledon before falling short against Alexander Zverev in the last 16.
Who will win the Wimbledon final? Jannik Sinner or Alexander Zverev
The top two seeds collide!
Lehecka announced his split from Navratil on X.
Jiri Lehecka thanks Michal Navratil after eight years of ‘hard work and sacrifice’ as they end coaching relationship
“When I look back, I see eight years filled with hard work, sacrifice, victories, and defeats. Every single one of them had its purpose,” said Lehecka.
“Thank you, Michal, for being such an important part of this journey. For your support, honesty, high standards, and for believing in me, especially during the moments where things weren’t easy.
“I’m truly grateful for everything we’ve built together. At the same time, I know that the past is only the foundation for what’s still to come.
“With humility, great motivation, and unwavering determination, I’m looking forward to the next chapter. May the best still be ahead of us.
“Thank you.”
Navratil shared his reaction to Lehecka’s message on Instagram.
“Thank you, Jiri Lehecka, for nice ride and keep your dreams,” he said.
Navratil and Lehecka achieved great things together, including two ATP titles.
Jiri Lehecka’s record in ATP finals (2-5)
| Final | Tier | Opponent | Result | Score |
| 2023 Winston-Salem Open | ATP 250 | Sebastian Baez | LOSS | 4-6, 3-6 |
| 2024 Adelaide International | ATP 250 | Jack Draper | WIN | 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2024 European Open | ATP 250 | Roberto Bautista Agut | LOSS | 5-7, 1-6 |
| 2025 Brisbane International | ATP 250 | Reilly Opelka | WIN | 4-1 (RET) |
| 2025 Queen’s Club Championships | ATP 500 | Carlos Alcaraz | LOSS | 5-7, 7-6, 2-6 |
| 2025 European Open | ATP 250 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | LOSS | 6-7, 7-6, 2-6 |
| 2026 Miami Open | Masters 1000 | Jannik Sinner | LOSS | 4-6, 4-6 |
Lehecka also reached his first Masters 1000 final earlier this year, losing to Jannik Sinner in Miami, and will return to his career-high of 12th when the next set of rankings are released.
Live ATP Rankings (Top 15)
- 1. Jannik Sinner – 12,750 points
- 2. Alexander Zverev – 8,480 points
- 3. Carlos Alcaraz – 8,160 points
- 4. Felix Auger-Aliassime – 4,740 points
- 5. Alex de Minaur – 4,110 points
- 6. Ben Shelton – 3,770 points
- 7. Novak Djokovic – 3,760 points
- 8. Daniil Medvedev – 3,670 points
- 9. Flavio Cobolli – 3,460 points
- 10. Taylor Fritz – 3,365 points
- 11. Alexander Bublik – 2,810 points
- 12. Jiri Lehecka – 2,510 points
- 13. Casper Ruud – 2,435 points
- 14. Lorenzo Musetti – 2,315 points
- 15. Learner Tien – 2,270 points
So Lehecka isn’t making a coaching change with his career in free fall; instead, he is looking to add someone else to his team, who can perhaps take him to the next level.
That next level would be becoming a top-10 player and making deep runs at Grand Slam tournaments.
Only time will tell who Lehecka will replace Navratil with, and if they can help him make that breakthrough.
What did Jiri Lehecka say after losing to Alexander Zverev in the fourth round of Wimbledon?
Lehecka and Zverev’s fourth-round match was played across two days, thanks to Wimbledon’s 11pm curfew.
The Czech trailed by two sets to love when play was suspended, but won the third set when they returned, threatening to mount a comeback on Centre Court.
Unfortunately for Lehecka, he couldn’t finish the job, losing to Zverev 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-7.
During his post-match press conference, the 24-year-old shared his thoughts on the defeat.
“Yeah, so, I mean, the tournament was, I think, quite fine. Today’s match unfortunately went the other way than I wanted,” he said.
“I think it was a great experience for me to play on Centre Court. Yeah, very happy with the reaction after the curfew. I think that was something that happened to me for the first time in my career.
“Totally different conditions today. Much easier for me to play. I think we saw that, for me, it was quite easier to use my game. Bounces were a bit higher. Was easier for me to attack.
“But yeah, too late for me to react. Unfortunately, the first two sets didn’t go my way. We saw that a player like Sascha [Zverev], who is very confident, is playing, in my opinion, his best grass court tennis right now that he has ever played. To lose the first two sets against a player like him is just not good enough if you’re aiming to win.”
Lehecka’s defeat to Zverev has aged well, as the German now prepares to meet Sinner in the Wimbledon final.
The Czech, on the other hand, will now head over to North America, where he is scheduled to play the Los Cabos Open before the two Masters 1000 tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati.
