Ben Shelton lost to Jiri Lehecka, 4-6, 4-6, in Team USA’s Davis Cup qualifier against Czechia.
Six days after Shelton’s defeat to Alexander Zverev in the US Open final, he returned to action at the Davis Cup. Unfortunately for the world number four, he failed to return to winning ways.
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Shelton was second-best to Lehecka throughout their fourth career meeting, losing to the Czech star for the very first time. His defeat left Team USA tied 1-1 with Czechia after Learner Tien beat Jakub Mensik in the opener.
During Team USA’s post-match press conference, Shelton delivered his verdict on the match and his performance.
Ben Shelton admits Jiri Lehecka ‘outplayed’ him at the Davis Cup
“I thought he [Jiri Lehecka] played a great match. A lot of credit to him. He outplayed me today. He served great, returned great. Volleyed really well, played well from the baseline,” said Shelton.
“There were no real holes in his game today, and he definitely deserved to win that match.”
Ben Shelton vs Jiri Lehecka – Match stats
| Stats | Ben Shelton | Jiri Lehecka |
| Aces | 3 | 3 |
| Double faults | 2 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 77% | 55% |
| 2nd Serve % | 87% | 96% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 71% | 88% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 46% | 60% |
| Break points | 0/2 (0%) | 2/6 (33%) |
Lehecka played some of his best tennis in front of his adoring home fans in Prague. Before the match, Shelton had looked forward to the away atmosphere, but how did it compare to what he expected?
“It was amazing, saw a great crowd, looked like it was a sell-out crowd today. They were loud, supporting their guys – what you’d hope for in an away match at the Davis Cup. I thought it was an incredible turnout,” said Shelton.
12 months ago, Czechia beat Team USA at the same stage of the competition in Delray Beach, Florida. Shelton missed that tie due to injury, but was determined to represent his country this year, regardless of the quick turnaround from the US Open.
“I’m just happy to be representing the USA here. I think it’s an honour to be able to play. I missed the tie that we played against Czech last year post-US Open because I was injured. I wasn’t going to miss this one no matter what happened at the US Open. I’m not feeling tired and super-excited for day two to try to put this match away tomorrow,” he said.
Shelton didn’t secure the win over Lehecka, but still deserves plenty of credit for travelling to Prague to represent his country so soon after a heartbreaking Grand Slam final defeat. Team USA captain Bob Bryan was certainly impressed with the 23-year-old’s efforts.
“He’s only been here less than two days, and he gave it all he had. He was getting better and better as the match went on, but Lehecka was red-hot today and served well when he needed to,” he said.
“Ben was applying pressure as the match was going on. Lehecka threw him a great defensive lob on one of the break points. That was probably going to hit the baseline…”
The good news for Shelton is that he will have another shot at the Czechs on day two. There, Shelton will have an opportunity to win his first Davis Cup match.
Who will Ben Shelton play on day two of Team USA vs Czechia?
On day two, Shelton will return to take on another top Czech player, Jakub Mensik. Shelton and Mensik have met four times previously and are tied at 2-2 in their head-to-head.
Team USA vs Czechia – Match schedule
- Day one – Learner Tien defeated Jakub Mensik (USA 1-0 Czechia)
- Day one – Jiri Lehecka defeated Ben Shelton (USA 1-1 Czechia)
- Day two – Christian Harrison/Austin Krajicek vs Adam Pavlasek/Patrik Rikl
- Day two – Ben Shelton vs Jakub Mensik
- Day two – Learner Tien vs Jiri Lehecka
Shelton won their first career meeting in Indian Wells two years ago, before Mensik won in Auckland and Madrid last year. Most recently, Shelton defeated Mensik in Montreal to reach the Canadian Open semi-finals.
It’s tough to predict who will emerge victorious in Prague, but with the home crowd on his side, Mensik will be difficult to beat. Shelton must play significantly better than he did against Lehecka to win, although you could say the same about Mensik, who struggled against Tien.
If Christian Harrison and Austin Krajicek defeat Adam Pavlasek and Patrik Rikl in the doubles rubber, Shelton will have the chance to secure his side’s spot in the Davis Cup Finals with a win over Mensik.
The 2026 Davis Cup Finals in Bologna will begin on Tuesday, November 24.
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