Ben Shelton had barely five days to swap the noise of Arthur Ashe for the O2 Arena in Prague, and by Saturday evening he had lost both of his singles rubbers.
Jakub Mensik levelled the qualifying tie on Saturday afternoon with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 win over Shelton. Jiri Lehecka then closed it out against Learner Tien 6-3, 7-5, sending Czechia through to the Davis Cup Finals and the United States home from a second-round qualifier for the second year in a row.
Team captain Bob Bryan, the former doubles great, gave the winners full credit.
“We’re obviously disappointed with the result, but super proud of the guys,” Bryan told reporters.
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“You gotta tip your cap to Mensik and Lehecka for how they played today.”
Bryan then turned to Shelton, who had lost the US Open final to Alexander Zverev on 13 September and flown straight to Prague to lead the team.
“Monumental effort by Ben to even show up here in Prague after all the tennis he played in New York,” Bryan said.
“He didn’t make any excuses, and he prepared the best he could.”
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No title since 2007, and still no Finals
The verdict from outside the American camp was harder. Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg wrote that “it’s also undoubtedly disappointing” that a country with six players in the ATP top 20 has not come closer to a Davis Cup title in recent years.
The United States has lifted the trophy a record 32 times but has not won it since 2007. The current squad, built around world No. 4 Shelton, has now lost to Czechia in back-to-back qualifying ties: 3-2 in Delray Beach in September 2025, and 3-2 again in Prague this weekend.
The lone bright spot on Saturday came in the doubles. Christian Harrison and Austin Krajicek edged Adam Pavlasek and Patrik Rikl 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(8) to put the United States 2-1 up, before the two singles rubbers went the other way.
Bryan: ‘We shouldn’t be in the Round of 16’
Bryan’s other complaint was structural. He argued that neither side should have met at this stage of the competition.
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“I think their team and our team are two of the best four teams in the whole world,” Bryan said.
“And we shouldn’t be playing in the Round of 16.”
Mensik: ‘You won it, not me’
The Czech comeback was carried by Mensik and Lehecka, with Mensik striking the pivotal blow by wearing Shelton down over three sets in front of a full O2 Arena.
“I’m incredibly happy that I’m keeping us alive,” Mensik said.
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“Today I didn’t win. All of you did.”
Shelton praised Lehecka after the opening-day defeat.
“He outplayed me today,” Shelton said of Lehecka.
“He served great, returned great. Volleyed really well, played well from the baseline. There were no real holes in his game today, and he definitely deserved to win that match.”
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Asked whether the Davis Cup defeat hurt more than the US Open final six days earlier, Shelton had one line.
“I don’t know, dude.”
The Davis Cup Finals run in Bologna from 24 to 29 November 2026, with Czechia among the eight qualifiers. The United States will not be there.
