Wimbledon will be the third Grand Slam tournament of the 2024 tennis calendar and the last major tennis event ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics
They say sporting brilliance runs in the family and that certainly seems to be the case for Sebastian Korda.
The American tennis star is heading to Wimbledon in fine form. He reached the final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and the semi-final at Queen’s, achieving a career-high ranking of No. 20 as a result.
And while last year’s self-appointment as a Wimbledon ‘favourite’ blew up spectacularly when Korda lost in the first round at the All England Club, the 23-year-old cuts the figure this time around having claimed victories over Cameron Norrie, Frances Tiafoe and Dan Evans before being defeated by Carlos Alcaraz. Korda will be supported throughout the tournament in SW19 by a remarkable sporting family.
Indeed, Korda’s father, Petr, clinched the title in 1998 and also won the doubles event with Stefan Edberg two years earlier. Petr’s wife, Regina Rajchrtova, boasted a successful pro golf career and reached a career-high ranking of world No. 26.
That Korda and his siblings would inherit some of that sporting prowess was an inevitability. While Korda is making waves on the tennis court, his two sisters are currently impressing on the women’s PGA Tour as professional golfers.
Jessica, 31, won the women’s Australian Open in 2012 and has represented the United States in the Solheim Cup three times. While sister Nelly not only clinched the women’s PGA Championship in 2021 and has twice been ranked world No 1, boasting seven LPGA Tour wins, but is also the second US woman to win a gold medal in the Olympics since Margaret Abbott in the 1900 Games.
Korda is also romantically linked with Ivana Nedved, daughter of Czech football legend Pavel Nedved. The 2003 Ballon d’Or winner is widely regarded as one of Czechia’s greatest-ever players having relished seasons with Lazio and Juventus.
Korda has expressed deep appreciation for his family’s support, while also poking fun at their sporting mastery. The tennis star humorously remarked on his status within his talented family after his impressive performance at the Australian Open, where he reached the fourth round. “I love playing in Australia, as does my family,” he said. “My dad won the Australian Open 25 years ago, and my sister won the Australian Open in women’s golf.”
He added: “I don’t know what I’m going to be ranked, but my mum’s career high was 26, my dad was two, my sister Nelly was No 1, my elder sister Jessica was six – so I’m definitely the worst athlete in the family so far.”
