‘If I Don’t F*** It Up’ – Sebastian Korda’s Father Vows That His Son Will Overtake Him as an American Tennis Great

Sebastian Korda’s journey as a pro tennis player might have ended long ago, but his legacy has not. Under the guidance and love of the former World No. 2, Korda is now driving steadily towards his dream in the French Open. However, for Petr Korda, it’s more than a dream but is a firm prediction and faith in his son’s capability.

Sebastian Korda is currently gearing up to face Carlos Alcaraz in the third round of the French Open. As he gradually makes his mark in the tennis world, it reminds fans of Korda’s father, who also tasted the glory of success in tennis during the late 1990s. The Czech former tennis player not only won a grand slam at the Australian Open in 1998 but also made for a fiery competitor at the French Open in 1992. But sadly, he finished as a runner-up in Paris. However, when it comes to his son, Korda has high hopes. But there is one condition.

“If I don’t find a way to f*** it up, Seba will be better than me,” his father said. Although Petr Korda won the Grand Slam Cup back in 1993, Sebastian has yet to follow in his father’s footsteps in this regard. However, his accomplishments till now speak volumes. After his 2018 ATP debut, he steadily climbed the ranking and even reached World No. 23 last year.

Interestingly, this has already made him surpass his mother, Regina Rajchrtová’s, best record (ranked 26th) in tennis. However, Korda did not stop there. Much like his father, Korda has also played on Australian soil, where he managed to reach the quarterfinal for the first time in 2023.

And currently, after having won his first doubles title in Madrid, Korda has already surpassed Kwon Son-woo and Harold Mayot at Roland Garros as well. But, surprisingly, when it comes to his form of play, Korda has an interesting comparison between him and his father.

Sebastian Korda sheds light on the “similarities”  between him and his father’s form on-court

Sebastian Korda was only nine years old when his father planted the seed of playing tennis in his head. And through his talent, Korda soon showed promise on-court. And behind him is his ever-supportive father. But when asked about the similarities in their playing style, Korda had an intriguing analysis on the subject.

“I mean, there is a lot of similarities between me and my dad. He had really good timing on his strokes. He’d hit the ball pretty flat. And try and stay as close to the baseline as possible. And try and dictate.”

However, according to Sebastian Korda, his form is on the aggressive side. Continuing his statement, he further added that “[I] just kind of play tennis a little different way than everybody else is playing, kind of throw in some slices, drop shots, go to the net, serve and volley. I think variety is a really big part of my game, and I’m improving it every day.” 

Sebastian Korda’s focus is now on improving his game and soon bringing home a grand slam like his father. And as he dreams of making his father’s prediction come true, hopefully, the tennis world will see more of his incredible talent on the court.