It’s time for a rematch! Polish star Hubert Hurkacz is all set to face Jiri Lehecka (CZE) yet again in Rotterdam. We saw them cross paths against each other last year. The Pole had the last laugh that time! Who would get the better of the other this time? Well, Lehecka is in red-hot form at the moment. He has already clinched a title this season! Can this 23-year-old Czech tennis player upset the former world number 6 in the R16 of the 2025 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament?
Hubert Hurkacz vs Jiri Lehecka: Preview
Hubert Hurkacz had a decent season in 2024. He reached the SF of the Open 13 and the QF at the Dubai Tennis Championships before clinching his first title of the 2024 season at the Estoril Open. After that, Hubert Hurkacz even made it to the final at the Halle Open, but over there he was defeated by the current world number one, Jannik Sinner by 6(8)-7,6(2)-7. Apart from these, Hurkacz also reached the QFs at the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open. In 2025, he made an early exit from the AO, but in Rotterdam, he has been very impressive so far. Hubert Hurkacz literally outclassed Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in the R32 by 6-3,6-2.
Aug 11, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Hubert Hurkacz (POL) gets aced by Alexei Popyrin (AUS) (not pictured) in quarterfinal play at IGA Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
What will be the scoreline in the next match? Well, perhaps Jiri Lehecka can give this answer! Lehecka started the 2024 season with a bang by clinching the title at the Adelaide International. Apart from making a few QF runs in his next tournaments, Jiri Lehecka also reached the SF in Madrid and the Serbia Open. He even reached the final at the European Open last year. Just like the previous year, Lehecka started the 2025 season with a title triumph in Brisbane. However, he was defeated by Novak Djokovic in the fourth round of the 2025 AO. Lehecka is entering this match following his impressive 7-5,6-2 win over Australia’s Alexei Popyrin in the R32.
Hurkacz vs Lehecka: Head-to-Head
So far these two have met each other only once in their careers. It was at the same tournament and in the last year itself. Since Hubert Hurkacz won that match, currently their H2H record is at 1-0 in favor of the Pole.
2024 Rotterdam R32: Hurkacz 6-3,6(9)-7,7-6(9).
Prediction: Lehecka to win this match in three sets
Hubert Hurkacz has more experience in playing against bigger opponents in the big tournaments, but the 23-year-old Czech tennis player is in red-hot form at the moment. So, we’re keeping him slightly ahead in this battle in Rotterdam. We saw Hubert Hurkacz having the last laugh in their first encounter, so perhaps Jiri Lehecka will be desperate to take his revenge on the Pole this time. If we take a look at the numbers, Hurkacz (21) had a win-loss record of 42-22 last season, while Lehecka (24) had a record of 35-19.
So, there is a very fine margin separating the two in terms of numbers at the moment and this is what makes this contest more interesting. Hubert Hurkacz has won just four out of eight matches so far in 2025, while Jiri Lehecka has won ten out of his eleven matches so far. So, we’re keeping Lehecka as the favorite to win this battle. However, we all are well aware of how dangerous Hubert Hurkacz can be on any given day. So, this match seems to go a little deeper yet again like their previous meeting in 2024.
If we take a look at their playing styles, Jiri Lehecka is one of the cleanest strikers on the Tour. He can hit big from both sides and his lightning forehand is also one of his biggest weapons. His aggressive baseline play may come out handy on this surface! Lehecka also has a good defensive game and his strong backhand is more than capable of putting Hubert Hurkacz into some real trouble in this match.
Talking about Hurkacz’s playing style, well the Pole has an all-court game the an emphasis on defensive baseliner play. He is an effective server, with a top serve capable of reaching around 151 miles per hour. Hubert Hurkacz hit 736 aces last season! Apart from that, he can also hit powerfully from both his forehand and backhand. He plays solidly from the back of the court, and he has also been described as a serve-and-volley player. However, his biggest worry over the years has been finding a bit of consistency in his game. If he manages to find that this year, then we could expect him to cause a few troubles to some of the bigger stars this season, but talking about this match, we feel, Jiri Lehecka will win it this time!
The post ATP Rotterdam: Hubert Hurkacz vs Jiri Lehecka; Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction appeared first on EssentiallySports.
