ITF

ITF World Spring 2021 27 It is a debate as old as time itself: is a famous and successful parent a help or hindrance to their aspiring offspring? Well, it certainly does not seem to be doing Sebastian Korda any harm. The 20-year-old's stock is soaring and in February he cracked the top 100, following in the footsteps of both his father, Petr, and mother, Regina, who did likewise more than 30 years ago. Petr would receive global acclaim after defeating Chile's Marcelo Rios in straight sets to triumph in the men's singles final at the 1998 Australian Open, which propelled him to a career-high No. 2 in the men's rankings. Regina, meanwhile, claimed two ITF titles during her career and peaked at No. 26 in the women's rankings in 1991, while she also competed at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. Consequently, it is doubtful whether Sebi, as he is referred to, will have conducted many interviews without there being mention of his parents, particularly his Grand Slam- winning father. Incidentally, to place into some form of context, Petr and Sebastian are the sixth father-and-son pairing to feature in the top 100 since the introduction of ATP rankings in 1973. They join a list which also includes Fred and Sandon Stolle, Leif and Joachim Johansson, Phil and Taylor Dent, Christophe and Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Christian and Casper Ruud. Petr was quoted recently as saying that he hopes one day he may get asked whether he is Sebastian's father, rather than Sebi being quizzed if he is his son. But Sebastian, who has been known to imitate his dad's signature scissor kick to celebrate victory, seems relaxed by his illustrious family name. Talk of a ITF World Spring 2021 27 burdensome surname and undue pressure certainly seems to have passed him by. "I love answering questions about my family. My dad achieved something that everyone who picks up a racket dreams about," Korda told ITFWorld. "I have a lot of great people around me with a lot of experience and knowledge and I'm constantly asking questions and always trying to better myself. "My parents dedicated their lives to us [Korda's sisters, Jessica and Nelly, are professional golfers on the LPGA Tour] and without them, we wouldn't have the opportunities we have and definitely wouldn't have the success we have today as a family. "My sisters are incredibly supportive of me also. They are showing the world how good they are and that is so much fun to watch. We are always pumping each other up to be better every day. "But, sure, it would be great if my dad was asked one day whether he is my father, rather than if am his son. I think that would make him proud as a father but there is still a long way to go for that." Korda is certainly not alone in dealing with the glare of the spotlight due to a famous parent. His blueprint for dealing with such attention could well be useful to someone like Leo Borg, whose legendary father Bjorn requires no introductions. Leo was the centre of a media storm after being handed a wild card entry to qualifying for the Junior Championships, Wimbledon in 2019, while interest resurfaced in February when the 17-year-old claimed the biggest title of his career at the Junior Grade 1 tournament in Porto Alegre. Following a parent into the same industry – tennis in Above Petr Korda with wife Regina and daughter Jessica a er his 1998 Australian Open triumph Main Sebas an Korda following his own victory at the Australian Open Junior Championships in 2018, imita ng his father's famous scissor kick

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