There was a time when Sebastian Korda appeared United States of America’s greatest guess to finish its almost two-decade lengthy seek for a males’s singles Main champion. He broke out on the 2020 French Open by reaching the fourth spherical and repeated it at Wimbledon a yr later. This was even earlier than present top-10 gamers Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton had comparable outcomes to indicate.
However persistent accidents took a toll and Korda, who peaked to World No. 15 final August, is now 60. Nevertheless, his consummate all-court expertise, comparatively younger age of 25 and glorious sporting genes – father Petr gained the 1998 Australian Open; mom Regina Rajchrtova was a top-30 participant and sisters Jessica and Nelly are each LPGA golf professionals, with the latter a two-time Main winner and a former World No. 1 – imply he’s nonetheless checked out with hope.
Korda spoke to The Hindu on his rising up years, the affect of his household, his profession to this point and the state of males’s tennis. Excerpts:
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In August 2024, you gained your largest title at Washington 500 and rose to your career-best rating. However since then, you might have had loads of accidents. How do you assess the final 12 odd months?
It’s been essentially the most tough interval in my profession. I’ve had an elbow surgical procedure, an ab tear, a stress fracture in my shin… however I’ve acquired some nice folks round me they usually make it simpler. As an athlete, all you need to do is simply follow, go play and luxuriate in your self. However I’ve not been capable of do any of that. So yeah, sort of taking a step again and making an attempt to remain optimistic.
You reached the French Open fourth spherical in 2020, after which the Wimbledon fourth spherical the subsequent yr. From then to now, how have you ever remodeled as a participant?
My physique has utterly modified. I used to be extraordinarily skinny again then, and inexperienced. I’m undoubtedly not as younger as I used to be, however I nonetheless really feel like I’m one of many youthful guys on the [ATP] Tour. I’m nonetheless tremendous excited to go to each single event, into each follow. I’ll hopefully maintain getting in the suitable course, and outcomes will observe.
In 2021, you reached the ATP Subsequent Gen event remaining however misplaced to Carlos Alcaraz. However his profession has gone in a single course and yours in another way. Is it irritating or is it motivating to really feel that you simply have been as soon as equal to him and you’ll very nicely obtain what him and others have gone on to?
It’s clearly irritating not being the place they’re, however each journey is totally totally different. I’m nonetheless 25, and hoping I can nonetheless play tennis for an additional 10, 15 years, get to a greater rating and compete with them regularly. Hopefully, I’ve loads of my greatest years forward of me. I’ve to, most significantly, keep wholesome as a result of after I’m wholesome, I can play some actually good tennis.
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Australia is a spot the place you might have had good outcomes, having reached the Adelaide 250 remaining twice (2023 and 2025). Within the 2023 remaining in opposition to Novak Djokovic, you had a match-point within the second set. What do performances like these inform you?
It’s tremendous motivating. When you might have nice outcomes and also you’re actually competing with the most effective on the earth, it’s an enormous optimistic. You be taught a lot, like what Novak does in sure conditions. He was taking part in a sure recreation fashion proper up till the match-point. After which, he utterly modifications and does one thing totally totally different. It’s an enormous studying curve. How they determine issues on the go, and alter issues.
You appear to be fairly adept on all surfaces. Does it come naturally?
My dad and mom raised me on clay, and I used to be taking part in on it till I used to be about 14. It was inexperienced clay, a little bit bit totally different, nevertheless it’s nonetheless clay nonetheless. You discover ways to use the court docket in another way and all totally different sorts of photographs to get you over the road.
How did it show you how to transition to different surfaces?
You be taught persistence. It’s a must to go to the online on the proper moments. If you happen to don’t, you get handed tremendous simply. And also you sort of spin the ball, slice, drop shot… you be taught rather a lot. It’s simply loads of really feel. And you probably have good really feel, you go to grass and you’ll go to the online a little bit bit extra and that helps you. Having that versatility is vital.
Matching up: The Adelaide ATP 250 remaining in 2023 that Korda misplaced to Novak Djokovic in an in depth three-setter was sufficient proof that the younger American had the sport to excel within the higher echelons of males’s tennis
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On this century, tennis has had loads of gamers who’re good on all surfaces. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Djokovic, Andy Murray and now Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. What do you place it right down to?
Gamers are adapting extraordinarily nicely. It’s actually uncommon for somebody to have a shot that’s not at a very excessive calibre. Earlier, if somebody didn’t have an excellent backhand, opponents would simply go after that shot the entire time. However now, everybody strikes rather well, serves nicely… it’s turning into harder to have one dangerous shot you possibly can go after. So then, you grow to be extra of an all-around participant [to beat that guy]. In a method, everybody’s serving to one another.
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Contrasting trajectories: Within the 2021 Subsequent Gen Finals, Korda was runner-up to Alcaraz. However after that, the Spaniard soared to nice heights whereas accidents marred Korda’s progress
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With Federer and Nadal retired, and Djokovic nearer to the top, males’s tennis was purported to be up and down. Did you count on Alcaraz and Sinner to take it to such a excessive degree this rapidly?
It’s been fairly distinctive. Roland-Garros was among the finest Slam finals in a very long time, and to remain at that depth and have that degree for 5 hours and 20 one thing minutes is extraordinary. So that they have set the bar at a sure commonplace, and everybody’s working their socks off to get to that degree and hopefully not permit them to separate the Grand Slams yearly! But in addition, it doesn’t matter in case you are ranked 80 or 20, it’s such a small hole. Clearly you might have somebody dominating on the high however it is rather aggressive for everybody else round.
How has your loved ones’s sporting background helped?
The largest factor for my dad and mom was solely to maintain us lively as children – throw us into any sport doable, be taught all of the mechanics and all the basics after which attempt to use it in your individual sporting life. Rising up taking part in [ice] hockey, I learnt loads of steadiness, and that helps me on a tennis court docket to be in a impartial place. With golf, you be taught persistence, and it’s an enormous assist with my sisters being particular person athletes. We undergo the identical issues, and I can ask them questions to assist me. With each my dad and mom being tennis gamers, it helps as a result of they’ve gone by every little thing that I’m going by they usually simply don’t need me to make the identical errors.
What are your near- and long-term objectives?
The purpose proper now could be simply to complete the season. It’s been a protracted yr. Mentally, it’s been extraordinarily difficult. I’d love to complete the yr taking part in each single event and we’ll see the place it takes me.
