Jiri Lehecka was searching for the biggest win of his career in Doha.
The young Czech star enjoyed a strong start to his 2025 campaign, winning the Brisbane International in January.
Lehecka then reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, falling to defeat against ten-time champion Novak Djokovic.
The 23-year-old then traveled to the Netherlands where he retired from his second-round match at the Rotterdam Open.
Lehecka underwent scans as his hamstring injury threatened to derail his good run of form.
He returned in time for the Qatar Open, however, securing wins against Grigor Dimitrov and Fabian Marozsan before facing a tough test in the quarter-finals.
Jiri Lehecka reacts after snapping Carlos Alcaraz’s 12-match ATP 500 winning streak in Qatar
World number 25, Lehecka, produced the shock of the tournament as he beat Carlos Alcaraz in Doha.
Trailing by a break in the third set, the Czech star battled back to secure the biggest win of his career, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
Speaking in his on-court interview, Lehecka revealed what the ‘key’ to his victory over the Spaniard was.
“I feel great, 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,” he said.
“I believed in myself, I knew that I had the level to produce this kind of tennis and I believed if I will be a little bit more consistent in the matches, I will be able to be able to bring these results more and more.
“I think that the most important thing today was that I believed in my game, I didn’t back down, even when I was missing in the first set, I still wanted to play my game style, I still wanted to be an aggressive player, I wanted to push him to his limits, and I was just waiting for the right moment to put all these things together.
“It happened to me when I broke him back in the third set, so I think the way I trusted my game was the key today.”
Lehecka then looked ahead to his semi-final match, where he’ll face off against either Matteo Berrettini or Jack Draper.
“Of course, I think that in a tournament like this, in a level like here in Doha, every day is different, every day, there is a different opponent,” he said.
“I will try to recover well, try to get back on the right track, build the right things again, and I’m very confident that I’ll be able to bring even more tomorrow, and I’ll try my best.”
His win over Alcaraz was his seventh against a top-ten opponent, and his highest ranked victory to date.
| Match | Opponent | Opponent’s rank | Score |
| 2025 Qatar Open (QF) | Carlos Alcaraz | 3rd | 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 |
| 2025 Brisbane International (SF) | Grigor Dimitrov | 10th | 6-4, 4-4 (RET) |
| 2024 Cincinnati Open (2R) | Daniil Medvedev | 5th | 7-6, 6-4 |
| 2024 Madrid Open (QF) | Daniil Medvedev | 4th | 6-4, 0-0 (RET) |
| 2024 Indian Wells (3R) | Andrey Rublev | 5th | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2023 Qatar Open (QF) | Andrey Rublev | 5th | 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2023 Australian Open (4R) | Felix Auger-Aliassime | 7th | 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 |
Carlos Alcaraz’s ATP 500 winning streak ends with defeat to Jiri Lehecka
Before losing to Lehecka in Doha, Alcaraz hadn’t lost a match at the ATP 500 level in 245 days.
His winning run spanned three tournaments, lifting titles in Beijing and Rotterdam, before falling to defeat against the Czech world number 25.
| Match number | Match | Opponent | Score |
| 12 | 2025 Qatar Open (R16) | Luca Nardi | 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 |
| 11 | 2025 Qatar Open (R32) | Marin Cilic | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 10 | 2025 Rotterdam Open (F) | Alex de Minaur | 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 |
| 9 | 2025 Rotterdam Open (SF) | Hubert Hurkacz | 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 |
| 8 | 2025 Rotterdam Open (QF) | Pedro Martinez | 6-2, 6-1 |
| 7 | 2025 Rotterdam Open (R16) | Andrea Vavassori | 6-2, 6-1 |
| 6 | 2025 Rotterdam Open (R32) | Botic van de Zandschulp | 7-6, 3-6, 6-1 |
| 5 | 2024 China Open (F) | Jannik Sinner | 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 |
| 4 | 2024 China Open (SF) | Daniil Medvedev | 7-5, 6-3 |
| 3 | 2024 China Open (QF) | Karen Khachanov | 7-5, 6-2 |
| 2 | 2024 China Open (R16) | Tallon Griekspoor | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 1 | 2024 China Open (R32) | Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard | 6-4, 6-4 |
During his 12-match winning streak, Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in the final of the 2024 China Open, securing his second career victory over a world number one.
Turning his attention to the two American Masters 1000 tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami, Alcaraz will likely return to the ATP 500 level during the clay court season.
The Barcelona Open ATP 500 event, where Alcaraz is a two-time champion, begins on April 14.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
