Legendary coach and best-selling author Rick Macci is one person who is upbeat about the future of American tennis. Although no player from the country has won a men’s singles Grand Slam title in 2024, a lot can happen in the second half of the year. The signs have been promising and the competition is wide open as compared to last year, which has made him come up with a fascinating prediction.
In an exclusive interview with The SportsRush, Rick Macci opined that Sebastian Korda is the player to watch out for. Macci believes that Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe are all good enough. But when it comes to being the most talented of them all, Korda continues to be his pick.
Interestingly, Rick Macci also believes that Sebastian Korda can do wonders with his forehand, which reminds him of Roger Federer to an extent. Macci was quoted as saying –
“There’s lot of good American young talent out there. Fritz is good, Tiafoe is good, Tommy Paul is good, Reilly Opelka (if he gets injury-free), Shelton is good. But in my opinion, leader in the clubhouse, I said this 2 years ago, by far the most talented is Sebastian Korda.
“Both his parents played on the Pro Tour, the genetics are there, he could make you uncomfortable. His forehand is a little bit like Federer’s, it’s kind of clean with the tight spin. It’s not a true heavy ball but Korda can hurt you, he can volley and chip it short on purpose. Not many guys do that.
“I would like to see his serve get bigger and he has got to get mentally stronger but he’s the most talented.
“Always remember this, it’s not how you start but it’s where you finish and he’s a cut above. I know he hasn’t been talked about, but 2024 could be the year of Sebastian Korda.”
Sebastian Korda has had a tough journey so far on the ATP Tour, having dropped 3 places in the last 8 months to be ranked No.26 in the world. So it is a bold prediction from Macci. But one thing is for certain, Korda does have a Federer-like style of playing some shots.
When Sebastian Korda Went Viral After Mirroring Roger Federer Drop Shot
Sebastian Korda first played for the United States in the Davis Cup back in 2022. Prior to that, the tournament put up a video in which the American star was in a practice session. Korda played a forehand and especially, a backhand drop shot which is similar to how Roger Federer played them.
Sebastian Korda’s next main target is Wimbledon 2024 and his quarter-final match against Tommy Paul in the s-Hertogenbosch tournament will be crucial to boost his confidence.
The American had some moments of brilliance in the third round of the French Open, even though he was knocked out by the eventual champion, Carlos Alcaraz, 4-6, 6-7, 3-6.
Apart from the Wimbledon Championships, Sebastian Korda has qualified for the American men’s team at the Olympics 2024 which will be held in Paris in the third week of July. Korda is arguably the United States’ best chance for winning medals in both singles and doubles. Should he achieve that, he would prove Rick Macci’s prediction right and perhaps unherald a new era in American men’s tennis.
