ITF

this case – is likely to draw even greater scrutiny, but there are also players who have received considerable attention due to a name which has no connection to the sport whatsoever. In terms of current up- and-coming players, Serbia's Olga Danilovic, who made her Grand Slam main draw debut earlier this year, falls into this category. She recounts a flurry of media requests following an inauspicious first-round exit from her maiden Junior Grand Slam. The focus almost exclusively revolved around her father, Predrag – a Serbian basketball player turned executive who was regarded as one of the best shooting guards in Europe in the 1990s. Roman Andres Burruchaga is another. His father, Jorge, starred for Argentina alongside the late Diego Maradona and scored the winning goal for his country as they defeated West Germany in the 1986 World Cup Final. Whether or not there was additional pressure at one stage or another for Korda, he certainly appears free of any shackles now and at Roland Garros in October he became the first qualifier to reach the round of 16 in nine years. The American arrived in Paris without a Tour-level victory to his name but left with an enhanced reputation and on-court exposure to the world's best. He faced his idol and eventual champion Rafael Nadal in the fourth round and shared a motivational chat in the aftermath. From there, Challenger Tour titles at Eckental and Quimper followed, while he also reached the final at Delray Beach, which has led to speculation that Korda is the great hope of American tennis. In some circles, he has also been touted as the potential heir to some pretty lofty names who are among the elite of United States tennis. As ever, Korda would appear unfazed and happy to take such comparisons in his stride. "I love that kind of pressure and it's always nice to get compliments like that and to have people believe in me," said Korda, who was crowned 28 Spring 2021 ITF World KORDA boys' singles champion at the 2018 Australian Open. "It motivates me to keep going on the path that I am on with my team. "Getting comfortable and getting the experience of being at the biggest tournaments with the best players and being around them and training with them was a super big thing for me. "I had a great two weeks of learning at the US Open, qualifying for the Cincinnati Masters and then playing a good first round against Denis Shapovalov [at Flushing Meadows]. It definitely helped me in my run at Roland Garros and then picking up my first professional title. "It's been an incredible journey so far and I'm excited for the future. For sure, I've dreamed about being a top 100 player my whole life but there's still a lot of hard work left to achieve my goals. "I've had a great start to the year and I hope I can keep building like I have." While there are numerous hurdles to clear before Korda joins the American sporting glitterati, his development has been boosted by a couple Above Korda following junior success in Mexico in 2017 Above right Sebas an's father, Petr, reached a career-high of No. 2 in the world rankings Right Sebas an Korda at the 2016 Junior Davis Cup Finals " It's been an incredible journey so far and I'm excited for the future."

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