The 25th-ranked 22-year-old, Jiri Lehecka, will miss both Wimbledon and the upcoming Olympic Games due to a persistent back injury. Lehecka, who has been struggling with the injury since retiring from his semifinal match against Felix Auger-Aliassime in Madrid, announced his decision on social media.
“I would have never imagined that I would qualify for the biggest sporting event in the world. It has always been a dream for me to represent my country and it was clearly one of my main goals for this season,” Lehecka wrote on X. “I’ve done everything I can to have a chance to play, but my body is still not ready to compete at the highest level. I wish the best of luck to all Czech athletes who will participate and I will cheer for them from home. I’m sure they will make us proud.”
Lehecka has had a promising season with a 17-9 record, including winning his maiden ATP title in January at Adelaide. His withdrawal from these major events marks a significant setback, as representing his country in the Olympics was a primary goal for the young athlete this season.
Today was the deadline for an Olympic games nomination and unfortunately I won’t be part of it. I’m very sad that I won’t be able to compete at the Olympics in Paris next month.
Since I was a little boy watching the Olympics from home, having fun playing with my grandfather, pic.twitter.com/ThTN4Nbtmp— Jiří Lehečka (@jirilehecka) June 19, 2024
Despite his current challenges, Lehecka remains hopeful and supportive of his fellow Czech athletes, expressing his intentions to cheer them on from home while he continues to recover.
Jiri Lehecka in 2024
Currently ranked no.25, Lehecka played his last match on the 3rd of May when he had to retire when playing against world no.18 Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semifinal and the scoreline was 3-3 .
Currently, during this year the Czech has managed to achieve an overall 17-9 record. This year, Lehecka conquered 1 tournament in Adelaide.
Jiri Lehecka |
| Embed from Getty Images |
