ATP Brisbane International: Lehecka Looking for the Double Down Under
by Bradley Gibbs | by Bradley Gibbs
Who is playing this week?
Most tournaments that feature on the ATP Tour officially begin on a Monday, with qualifying typically taking place on the Sunday. However, in Brisbane, the tournament began on Sunday, with a few first-round matches taking place. US tennis fans will be pleased to learn that Frances Tiafoe made it through to the second round, as did Learner Tien.
Most first-round matches will begin on Monday, when we’ll see some big-name players tossing it up for the first time in 2026.
Daniil Medvedev will be the highest-ranked player involved this week. The Russian, who is the current world number 13, is also the top seed. Jiri Lehecka is one of three other top-20 players to be involved, alongside Tommy Paul, who is currently ranked at 20th in the world, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, ranked currently at 14th.
The following players will be seeded in Brisbane:
Daniil Medvedev (1)
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (2)
Jiri Lehecka (3)
Tommy Paul (4)
Denis Shapovalov (5)
Cam Norrie (7)
Learner Tien (8)
What can we expect in Brisbane?
Having been postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19, the Brisbane International did not feature on the ATP Tour schedule for a few years, making a comeback in 2024, when Grigpr Dimitrov defeated Holger Rune to lift the trophy.
Recent winners of the Brisbane International:
2025 - Jiri Lehecka defeated Reilly Opelka to become champion
2024 - Grigor Dimitrov defeated Holger Rune to become champion
So, what can we expect from this ATP 250 event in Brisbane. Played at the Queensland Tennis Centre, featuring the Pat Rafter Arena and Show Courts 1 and 2. This is an outdoor tournament, though all courts will be shielded by a roof that will remain throughout the duration of the tournament, protecting players from what can be blazing sun.
The conditions in Brisbane over the next week will be fast and furious. Last season, the courts at the Queensland Tennis Centre went down as the 10th fastest on the ATP circuit. Of all the outdoor hard-court events currently featuring on the ATP Tour, this tournament has some of the fastest conditions, which will favor those who serve big and can dominate short rallies.
Can Lehecka defend his crown?
OK, can Jiri Lehecka do what he did last season and come out on top? Well, the Czech player clearly enjoyed the conditions a year ago, while many of the biggest names on the tour aren’t involved this week, so yes, Lehecka could easily get the job done again, and he’ll probably fancy himself to do that.
Lehecka is a very accomplished hard-court player, while he serves big enough to thrive in the Brisbane conditions. As well as winning this tournament a year ago, the third seed also played well at the Australian Open, so we know he’s got what it takes to do well.
It won’t be easy for Lehecka, though. The huge-hitting Reilly Opelka is always a threat in this sort of speedy-court tournament, while 2024 winner Grigor Dimitrov must be respected by all.
For my money, Dimitrov is the man to side with. The Bulgarian didn’t just win this tournament in 2024, but he came out on top in 2017 too, reaching the final in 2013 on top of that. Now ranked at 44th in the world, Dimitrov simply loves hard courts, losing only two of his last nine hard-court matches. Those defeats came against Djokovic and Alcaraz. He should be very tricky to beat this week.
Our ATP Brisbane Pick: Grigor Dimitrov to Win the Tournament.
