Jiri Lehecka admitted "there is still big, big, big room for improvement" after his Miami Open final defeat to Jannik Sinner on Sunday.

Sinner won 6-4 6-4 to claim his first Sunshine Double. Since the Miami Open’s inauguration in 1985, the Italian is the first player to win both titles without conceding a set.

Lehecka, meanwhile, was making his first appearance in an ATP Masters 1000 final, and he was impressive en route to his showdown with Sinner.

The Czech is the first player to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final without having his serve broken since Novak Djokovic in Shanghai in 2018.

Although the 24-year-old was pleased with aspects of his game, he knows that he must continue to improve if he wants to get the better of Sinner in the future.

"I think that these matches against these guys are showing me that there is still big, big, big room for improvement," Lehecka said in his post-tournament press conference.

"I played, in my opinion, a very good tournament here. I was very satisfied with my game.

"But I again saw that there is still somewhere to go, and that I will really need to keep improving more and more if I want to be able to beat these guys in the final stages of these big events like Masters and grand slams."

What an incredible run @jirilehecka 

You should be very proud...#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/3VO7xVGMa7

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 30, 2026

Attention now turns to the European clay swing, with the Monte-Carlo Masters taking place in early April.

Lehecka is aiming to carry his momentum from Miami into Monte-Carlo, with the French Open taking place later in May.

"I made a final here [Miami], so I think that even the work on Monte-Carlo clay will be easier for me with that confidence that I bring with myself," added Lehecka.

"And at the same time, there is no better place to start the year on clay than Monte-Carlo. That place is amazing and I like to be there all the time when I can."