Carlos Alcaraz's Qatar Open campaign ends with shock loss to Jiri Lehecka

Carlos Alcaraz had a golden opportunity to lift another ATP 500 trophy. With Jannik Sinner’s suspension and Novak Djokovic’s first-round elimination, the Spaniard was the top favourite to take the title at the 2025 Qatar Open. However, he could not make it past the quarterfinals and was defeated by Jiri Lehecka.

Once again, Alcaraz started the match strong, securing an early break gifted by his opponent. However, after that, he completely lost focus. We’re used to seeing this, but in most cases, he manages to pull through. This time, though, it wasn’t the case, and the 23-year-old Czech up-and-comer defeated him 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

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After going up 2-1 with a break in the first set, Alcaraz lost four consecutive games, putting him under pressure. He saved his serve but couldn’t break back in time, forcing him to fight hard. He did so brilliantly in the second set, not giving Lehecka many opportunities and needing just one break to level the score.

The third set seemed to follow a path similar to the second. But in the end, it turned out to be more like the first. Alcaraz broke first and even had chances to go 5-2 up with serve to close the match. However, the Czech reacted, fought back, and managed to turn the match around.

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Once again, four consecutive games saw Alcaraz defeated, with Lehecka advancing to the semifinals of the Doha tournament. He will face the winner of the Matteo Berrettini vs Jack Draper match. Both players are tough opponents, but unfortunately for the four-time Grand Slam champion, they are often plagued by injuries. However, when in good form, they are among the best in the world.

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