Seb Korda: Tennis star hopes to follow in his golfing sister, Nelly’s footsteps, by winning major title
The Korda siblings are a sporting success story like no other; father Petr was the 1998 Australian Open men’s singles champion while mother Regina Rajchrtova was a former professional tennis player from Czechoslovakia; Seb’s sisters Nelly and Jessica are golfing superstars
Image: It must be difficult trying to keep up with the Kordas – Petr, Sebi, Nelly and Jessica are the first family of sport
Nelly and Jessica are two of the best golfers in the world, but for Seb, it’s all par for the course. Not only is he proud of his siblings’ achievements, but he wants to emulate them on a tennis court.
Nelly Korda is just the start of her ascent to superstardom having won the Chevron Championship to secure her second major title and a remarkable fifth straight tournament win last week.
The 25-year-old’s victory at The Woodlands saw her tie the record for most consecutive LPGA wins, with Nancy Lopez in 1978 and Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) the only other women to achieve the feat.
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Seb enjoyed a run to the fourth round at Wimbledon – beating Britain’s Dan Evans along the way in 2021 – and reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open last year, when he also reached a career-high 23 in the world.
The youngest of his siblings, Seb is not only talented on the court, but he also enjoys a penchant for golf.
“I can play some good golf,” smiled Seb, who lifted his first career ATP Tour singles title on clay at the Emilia-Romagna Open in Parma and has reached the semi-finals at Queen’s and Shanghai since.
“I know there is a couple of guys on tour, I know that Casper Ruud, he’s around a 2 (handicap), and I think Jack Sock said he’s around a 2, as well. We’d have a pretty good match if we played.”
He’s also been taking tips from his sisters, especially Nelly, who has cemented her status as the dominant force in the women’s game.
Did you know…
Four Kordas have won Australian Open championships: Seb (2018 boys’ singles), Petr (1998 men’s singles), Jessica (2012 LPGA) and Nelly (2019 LPGA)
Image: The Korda sisters, Jessica and Nelly, have both featured for Team USA at the Solheim Cup
Big sister Jessica, 31, has been at Nelly’s side throughout her career, offering guidance and playing the role of her No 1 fan. Jessica announced the birth of her first child in February.
After Nelly won Olympic gold with a tense one-stroke victory, Seb called her the next day and explained how she was “really pumped up”.
“It was crazy,” he said. “I was in Washington, DC, at the time with my girlfriend, and right before the rain delay hit, I was, like, Oh, no. It was already midnight and I was playing doubles the next day. But I went to bed for like 30 minutes and woke up just in time to finally watch them restart.
“I always knew she would have it in her, and I know how tough she is in certain situations. I know how she always prevails whenever she has a challenge like that in front of her.”
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Seb regularly plays nine holes at his local golf club, which is located just a couple of minutes away from the Korda family home.
“I do have a pretty good golf swing, yeah,” he said. “I have been playing golf basically my whole life, because I would just be around my sisters. I have never taken a lesson, but I have a pretty good golf swing.”
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Seb’s father is a former world No 2 who is famous for winning the Australian Open in 1998 and reaching the 1992 French Open final. He coached his son alongside Andy Roddick’s former coach, Dean Goldfine.
He has also been mentored by former world No 1 Andre Agassi – an eight-time Grand Slam champion – before Radek Stepanek and Martin Stepanek took over this April.
The fame doesn’t stop there with Korda dating Ivana Nedved, who is the daughter of Czech football great Pavel Nedved.
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“He always tells me whenever I play like a big match or something to always enjoy it, and whenever I’m playing a tournament for the first time, to really enjoy it,” Seb told the official ATP website when asked about Agassi.
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There’s lots of talk around the Kordas, but Seb says his mother, Regina, who peaked at No 26, is his true inspiration when it comes to his success on the tennis court.
“My mum is probably the person who has shaped all of my strokes and everything, because when I switched over from hockey to tennis when I was 10 or 11 years old, my dad was travelling with my oldest sister on the LPGA Tour when she just turned professional. She was 17,” explained Seb.
“I was spending all the time on court with my mum. She basically taught me how to play tennis in a way, because she moulded my game to what it is today, and I’m really thankful for that.
“I feel like I have a different game compared to everybody else. She was probably one of the biggest if not “the” biggest influences in my game.”
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Highlights from The Chevron Championship in Texas where Nelly secured her second major title and a remarkable fifth straight tournament win
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