Tomáš Berdych was charmed by his successor as Czech tennis number one. The impressive rise of Jiří Lehečka did not leave the former Wimbledon finalist indifferent, which is why Berdych visited the young compatriot during the tournament in Dubai and gave him valuable advice. However, the legend of Czech tennis has not started training yet.
Many have a feeling of déjà vu when they watch the rising star of world tennis Jiří Lehečka on the court. They still have a vivid memory of Czech playing in a similar way.
“When you see him play, with that kind of power and pressure, another Czech player immediately comes to mind. Likewise, when you see him serve or hit those incredible forehands played above shoulder level. Tomáš Berdych. That’s where it all comes together: yes , I’ve already seen that game. And it’s not a coincidence, it’s also about thinking and work. Roger Federer was Leheček’s tennis idol, but the one he naturally modeled his game after is Berdych,” said tennis journalist Carole Bouchardová.
In an interview with her for the Tennis Majors website, the 21-year-old Czech player spoke at length about Berdych’s influence.
“When I was little, I looked up to Roger Federer. I loved his game, his varied style. As I got older, I looked in the mirror and assessed what kind of player I really am. That’s when I started to see my game and my style in Tomas Berdych ” said Lehečka.
At the age of sixteen, Jaroslav Navrátil, the long-time Czech Davis Cup captain and the man who took Berdych to the top ten, started coaching him. Navrátil’s son Michal is now Lehečka’s coach.
“If you see any similarities in my game and Tomáš Berdych’s game, it will be that too. Tomáš was the one I was looking forward to, I watched all of his Davis Cup matches,” said the tennis player from Kněžmost.
However, admiration and respect also travel in the opposite direction. Thirty-seven-year-old Berdych, a semifinalist in all four Grand Slams and a long-time member of the world’s top ten, was impressed by how quickly Lehečka was moving up. Last week he visited him in Dubai, where he was basically an external part of the tennis team for several days.
“For how young he is, he has a balanced game. I think it’s very good. He has a bright future ahead of him,” Berdych said in an interview for ATP and praised one specific characteristic of his successor.
“I really like his physical preparation, how strong his body is. Some of the young guys struggle a lot with that, they need more muscles or they don’t have the strength. That’s definitely not the case with Jiří, which I like,” said the former world number four.
Even Berdych did not resist comparisons and similarities in the game of the two Czech tennis players.
“He also mentioned it several times, it’s nice to hear that he was an inspiration to someone,” admitted the winner of thirteen tournaments and 640 matches on the ATP circuit.
Berdych believes in the renaissance of Czech men’s tennis, which has found itself in a dull period in recent years. “I think Jiří is the one who should hold the banner and go forward,” said the two-time Davis Cup winner.
When Berdych was returning from vacation at the end of February, he decided to make one more stop in Dubai to get to know Lehečka better. It was a spontaneous idea.
Closer cooperation is not planned yet, but Berdych has not ruled it out in the future.
“I’ve always been a person who followed instinct and the feeling of the moment. We’ll see how things develop. Nothing is on the table yet, his team is good and strong. They’re doing a good job. We’ll see,” said Berdych, who ended his career in 2019 .
Lehečka started last season as the 141st player in the world, now he is already a member of the elite 50 and ranks among the most dangerous tennis players on the circuit. He sensationally reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, and played the semifinals in Doha, Qatar. This year he won thirteen out of eighteen matches.
On Wednesday, shortly before midnight CET, he will make his debut at a major tournament in Indian Wells. In the first round of the so-called “fifth grand slam” in the Californian desert, Lehečka will be the favorite against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.
