HSBC Championships - Day Six Rennae Stubbs of Australia watches Serena Williams of the United States during an early morning practice session on Day 6 of The HSBC Championships 2026 women s tennis tournament at The Queen s Club in London, England, on June 13, 2026. London Greater London United Kingdom PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xOwenxHammondx originalFilename:hammond-thehsbcc260613_npuAk.jpg
HSBC Championships - Day Six Rennae Stubbs of Australia watches Serena Williams of the United States during an early morning practice session on Day 6 of The HSBC Championships 2026 women s tennis tournament at The Queen s Club in London, England, on June 13, 2026. London Greater London United Kingdom PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xOwenxHammondx originalFilename:hammond-thehsbcc260613_npuAk.jpg
Czech tennis star Jiri Lehecka’s September 4 US Open matchup against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas caused much controversy online.
Although Lehecka lost 2-6, 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-1, tennis fans were more concerned with a viral clip showing Lehecka attempting a shot that they considered cheating.
Several pro players spoke out on Lehecka’s behalf, urging fans to watch the entire match and know the rules before lashing out. Serena Williams’ old coach and former World No. 1 doubles tennis player, Rennae Stubbs, also took to X, defending Lehecka’s move.
“I’ve seen people ask about this play. I will explain to you. This is a VERY LEGAL shot. The ball lands on Lehecka side, then goes back over the net, so you’re allowed to reach over and hit it anywhere, including into the net to win the point. @usopen,” Rennae Stubbs wrote on X on September 5.
RECORD DATE NOT STATED 2025 Australian Open - Day 8 MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 19: Jiri Lehecka of Czech Republic hits a forehand to Novak Djokovic of Serbia on day eight of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 19, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia., 64890332.jpg
RECORD DATE NOT STATED 2025 Australian Open - Day 8 MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 19: Jiri Lehecka of Czech Republic hits a forehand to Novak Djokovic of Serbia on day eight of the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 19, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia., 64890332.jpg
The play Stubbs referred to in her September 5 X post involved Tsitsipas making a shot during the third set that bounced on Lehecka's side and spun back over the net. This allowed the Czech player to reach out and smack it away.
However, the viral video only showed Lehecka smacking the ball over the net, instead of showing it land in his court first.
The video prompted many critics to cry foul since Lehecka’s racket crossed the net, especially after the US Open X account captioned the clip, "Lehecka found the cheat code."
However, as Stubbs explained, ITF Rule 25(b) specifies that a player can reach over the net to strike a ball if the ball lands on the correct side of the court before bouncing back to the other side.
Stubbs wasn’t the only one to defend Lehecka either. Another former Czech-American tennis player also vouched for the play’s legality.
“Learn the Rules”: Martina Navratilova claps back at critics over Lehecka controversy
When critics honed in on Lehecka’s over-the-net move and began calling out the US Open for not calling a foul, Navratilova stepped in, trying to educate them in the comments section.
“Wrong:), the ball after the bounce can be hit on the other side of the net- learn the rules:),” she wrote in the comments section of the US Open X post that started the uproar.
When X users continued to blast Lehecka and accused him of cheating, Navratilova continued to defend him and urged fans to watch the whole video before lashing out.
In any case, the desperate move proved to be pointless in the end. The Czech player’s loss to Tsitsipas in the third round signaled his exit from the 2026 US Open.
Written by
Arundhoti Palit