On June 21, 2025, British No. 1 Jack Draper, ranked world No. 4, suffered a heartbreaking 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 defeat to Jiri Lehecka in the Queen’s Club Championships semifinals, ending his bid to become the first British singles champion since Andy Murray in 2016, per ATP Tour. The 23-year-old, battling tonsillitis and intense pressure as the home favorite, crumbled in the decisive third set, smashing his racket against an electronic advertising board after Lehecka’s stunning backhand winner secured a crucial break at 5-5, earning Draper a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct, per The Telegraph. Lehecka, ranked No. 30, sealed the 2-hour, 7-minute match with a confident hold, becoming the first Czech finalist at Queen’s since Ivan Lendl in 1990, per Reuters.
Draper, who led their head-to-head 2-1, including a Doha win in February (3-6, 7-6(2), 6-3), struggled with Lehecka’s powerful serve, which delivered 14 aces and won 79% of first-serve points, per LTA. Despite a resilient second set, where a flicked backhand cross-court winner sparked a break to level the match, Draper’s 29 unforced errors and a double fault at 5-5 in the third proved costly, per Sky Sports. Lehecka, with 17 winners and only 23 unforced errors, capitalized on his third top-10 win of 2025, per Motorcycle Sports. X posts, like @TheTennisLetter, noted Lehecka’s clutch performance, while @MailSport highlighted Draper’s fiery outburst, per.
Despite the loss, Draper’s run secured a top-four Wimbledon seed, avoiding Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz until the semifinals, per ATP Tour. Lehecka advances to face either Alcaraz or Roberto Bautista Agut in the final, per BBC Sport.
