Rafael Nadal is still in the 2024 Madrid Open draw, with Jiri Lehecka being the next challenger for the five-time champion.
Lehecka is not a veteran player, but the 22-year-old has been around for a while now and has had some pretty strong showings on the top level. He's a solid player, and this will be far from an easy match for the Spaniard.
He's shown himself to be pretty good on clay still, with a couple of wins. Obviously, he's not unbeatable because his most recent match certainly showed that there are ways opponents can beat him.
Really taking it to him and not allowing him to sail the opponent around the court with his forehand is one of those ways. Funnily enough, that's exactly how Lehecka plays, so this can be a really interesting match if the Czech player finds his best tennis.
Nadal and Lehekca obviously never played against each other, except for a practice session recently, in which the Czech player managed to beat the experienced Spaniard.
Lehecka is a solid player who has earned some good wins over the past few years. Obviously, Nadal is certainly the better player overall and a better clay player, but Lehecka can frustrate him in many ways.
He has a good serve and loves to play attacking tennis, with his forehand doing most of the damage. That's certainly good enough to give the 14-time French Open winner some problems.
| Rafael Nadal | Jiri Lehecka | |
| 0 | H2H | 0 |
| 512 | Rank | 31 |
| 37 | Age | 22 |
| 6-2 | 2024 W/L | 15-8 |
| 1074-222 | Career W/L | 62-55 |
Even with all that, it's pretty clear that Nadal is having a good moment, with the Madrid crowd backing him heavily. I do expect him to find a good enough level to win, but it might go to three sets, similar to how it went against Pedro Cachin.
Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in three sets.