Keeping up with the Kordas, on the greens and courts

Like American Richard Williams mentored his daughters Venus and Serena to change into the perfect ladies tennis gamers on the earth at totally different cut-off dates, Czech Petr Korda, the previous tennis World No.2 and the 1998 Australian Open winner, has groomed his three youngsters to excel of their respective sports activities.
Korda’s two daughters Jessica and Nelly are star golfers, the latter the present World No.1. And his youngest little one, Sebastian, on Friday reached the fourth spherical of the Wimbledon Championship, on debut. He performed on the fabled Centre Court for the primary time in his profession to beat twenty second seed Brit Dan Evans. The win helped him emulate a feat his father had completed 26 years in the past, successful on his Centre Court debut.
The whole household retains tabs on one another’s success.
Petr-Regina, the mother and father
The 53-year-old Petr gained 10 tour singles titles that included the 1998 Australian Open title. He had additionally reached the 1992 French Open closing, dropping to Jim Courier. In doubles, he reached two Major finals, successful the 1996 Australian Open title with Stefan Edberg, and dropping the 1990 French Open closing with Goran Ivanisevic.
His spouse, Regina Rajchrtová, can be a former skilled tennis participant. She had reached the 1990 French Open doubles quarterfinal, and reached a profession excessive singles rank of 26 in 1991. She additionally competed on the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, representing the erstwhile Czechoslovakia.
The household later immigrated to the United States.
Sebastian, World No.50, tennis
Just a few days shy of his twenty first birthday, Sebastian is the youngest within the household, and the one little one to take up tennis. He stands at 6-foot-5, and his rise within the sport has been fast. He began the 12 months ranked 119 however at the moment sits on 50.
By reaching the fourth spherical of Wimbledon he joined a listing of simply eight males’s gamers to have reached this stage of each the French Open (2020) and Wimbledon earlier than their twenty first birthday. Of these 5 have gone on to win at the very least one Slam (together with the Big 3 and Lleyton Hewitt and Marin Cilic).
Sebastian had additionally gained the 2018 Junior Australian Open title, 20 years after his father gained the senior occasion. That was additionally a stepping stone in what has been a rigorously designed profession path.
He skipped the Melbourne occasion this 12 months, selecting as a substitute to play just a few Challengers to construct up his rank. He ended up successful an occasion in Quimper, France, which noticed him break into the highest 100 for the primary time.
He’s additionally determined to skip the Olympics this 12 months in favour of enjoying tour occasions (what his supervisor Patricio Apey described as “lower-hanging fruit” to The New York Times) to construct his rank and expertise.
Nelly, World No.1, golf
The center little one within the Korda household, at 22, gained her first profession main on the Women’s PGA Championship in Atlanta final week. Sebastian watched that win from his resort in London.
“My sister just won her first major and is the No.1 golfer in the world, so it’s super inspiring. It’s crazy,” he stated in a press convention.
The win took her to the World No.1 place, and made her the spearhead for the American golf group on the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
Jessica, World No.13 golf
At 28, Jessica is the eldest Korda-sibling. She’s been ranked as excessive as 11 on the earth, however at the moment sits in thirteenth place. She has gained 13 LPGA tour occasions, the primary being the Australian Open in 2012, – the golf namesake occasion for the tennis majors Petr and Sebastian gained in senior and junior class respectively.
She too will compete on the Olympics with Nelly.