In a major upset, Sebastian Korda defeated No.2 seed Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the Shanghai Masters. He won in straight sets after a long tiebreak in the first set. The win over the defending champion and one of the title favourites could be the breakthrough Korda needs to fulfil his potential as one of the USA’s future stars.
Ranked World No.26 currently, with a career-high ranking of 25, Korda has been on the fringes of the top 30 of the ATP rankings for a year. Standing at 6’5”, he is one of the tallest players on the tour. He uses his height and reach to his full advantage, playing a strong baseline game with powerful groundstrokes. Able to remain calm under pressure, Korda is an all-round player with a high ceiling.
Sebastian Korda, another American phenomenon
Korda hails from a Czech family with immense tennis pedigree. His father, Petr, is a former World No.2 while his mother, Regina, was ranked in the top 30. He has two sisters, Jessica and Nelly, both of whom are also professional athletes, playing LPGA golf. Born in Florida on July 5, 2000, Sebastien has represented the USA throughout his tennis career. However, he is coached by Czech veteran Radek Stepanek, who was coached by Petr during his playing days, and Martin Stepanek.
Soon after winning the boys’ singles title at the 2018 Australian Open, Korda made his ATP Tour debut. He lost to compatriot Frances Tiafoe in New York. However, he continued playing majorly on the ATP Challenger and ITF Futures circuit for the next couple of years or so. He first announced himself as a pro after reaching the fourth round of the 2020 French Open in his maiden Grand Slam main draw appearance. He kept rising through the ranks and giving a good account of himself at various ATP events and soon broke into the top 30 in early 2023.
Korda has wins over top-ranked players like Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Jannik Sinner. He, though, missed the biggest fish by one point. In the 2023 Adelaide International 1 final, Korda had a championship point over Novak Djokovic. The Serb, however, bounced back with his trademark resilience to win the match and the title.
After the fixture, Djokovic praised the American and said he has a bright future and is an amazing player. He continued his run and reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and hence jumped to World No.26. He spent a few months on the sidelines with a wrist injury but returned strongly, achieving a career-high no.25 ranking in June. Korda will now want to break into the top 20.
Korda, a star in the making?
After waiting years for their next big star, American tennis suddenly has a bunch of players who can reach elite levels. Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and the new kid on the block, Ben Shelton. Korda is a name that gets a little lost as this quartet takes up all the limelight.
Neither has Korda won many titles like Fritz nor does he have headline-grabbing tendencies like Shelton. However, at only 23 and backed by a rich tennis pedigree, Korda has the time and ability to become one of the flagbearers of American tennis. He has the necessary qualities to excel and his wins over some of the game’s stars prove it.
Korda will now face Ben Shelton in the quarters of the Shanghai Masters. For Korda to be considered a globally elite player, he first needs to become one of United States’ top players. Loaded with bags of potential and younger than everyone bar Shelton, Sebastian Korda has what it takes to be one of the names to watch out from the USA.
