Two-time ATP champion completely agrees with Carlos Alcaraz as he begins 2026 campaign

Somewhat of an Australia specialist, Lehecka is determined to make sure he plays his best tennis all year round in 2026.

During his pre-tournament press conference, Lehecka was asked the following question by a reporter.

“You are top 20 yourself now. [Carlos] Alcaraz said that when [Tomas] Machac beat him, he was playing like a top-five player. He said the difference between actually becoming that top-five player is consistency. What do you think it is for you to take that next step?” said the reporter.

Lehecka completely agreed with Alcaraz, as he outlined his goals for 2026.

Jiri Lehecka admits ‘consistency is key’ as he agrees with Carlos Alcaraz

“I absolutely agree,” said Lehecka.

“We all have the level, and we know that we can produce the tennis that can be on this level. But the consistency is the key.

“You know, if we are not able to produce most of the time, then you can play one good match, and then if you are not able to continue at that level, then you’re simply not going to move forward, because you’re not going to win the tournament.

“You’re not going to go far.”

Lehecka wants to improve his consistency in 2026, having suffered a dip in form on clay last season.

“That’s definitely something that I was focusing on during last season, to be more consistent, you know, not to have many ups and downs, even though I didn’t really play good tennis during the clay season, but straight on grass, it came back, and I held it quite well since then,” he said.

“So yeah, definitely. That’s one of the key things on which I will try to focus definitely this year, to produce good tennis, but most importantly to have the ability to keep it.”

Lehecka clearly has some big plans for 2026, but who will he play in his first match of the year?

Jiri Lehecka’s route to the Brisbane International title

Competing as the number-three seed in Brisbane, Lehecka will play his countryman Tomas Machac in round one.

Lehecka gave his verdict on his fellow Czech during his press conference.

“Tomas is definitely a great player. He proved it last year that he can play amazing tennis. Actually, we practiced together before we headed here to Brisbane, so I think it’s gonna be a great matchup,” he said.

Should Lehecka beat Machac, he’d advance to play either Valentin Vacherot or Sebastian Korda in the second round.

Learner Tien in the quarterfinals, Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final could then potentially await him if he were to go all the way in Brisbane.

Only time will tell if Lehecka can win the 2026 Brisbane International, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.

Lehecka will begin his 2026 campaign on Monday, January 5, when he plays Machac.