Lehecka, a smiling returnee: "I had no more pain".

Jiri Lehecka is back in action.

After a fine start to the season, crowned by a title win in Adelaide and a superb run in Indian Wells (quarter-finalist after beating Rublev and Tsitsipas) and Madrid (surprise semi-finalist before being forced to retire), the 22-year-old Czech nugget then had to contend with a terrible injury.

Absent from the tennis courts since the end of April, the player still coached by a certain Tomas Berdych made no secret of his delight at the press conference.

Making his comeback in Cincinnatti, he even managed to win, overcoming Mariano Navone, ranked 38th in the world, in just under 1h30 (7-6, 6-3).

With a big smile on his face, he declared: "My injury was very serious, because I couldn't do anything.

I could only lie down. I could only walk a little. I was limited in all the normal movements I'm used to. Having a racket in my hand was not an option for me.

Going for a simple run or to the gym wasn't an option. I wasn't able to do all those things, so it wasn't easy for me, also mentally, because I'm a very active person.

So the most important thing was to feel healthy again and to be pain-free, which is what happened today.

I was pain-free. I felt good physically on the court, which was the most important thing for me, and the fact that I won was just a bonus." (comments relayed by ATP).

In the next round, Lehecka will face Daniil Medvedev, a serious opponent and a real-life test.