Sebastian Korda is an American professional tennis player, who has competed on the ATP Tour since 2018.
Date of Birth: | 5 July 2000 |
Birthplace: | Bradenton, Florida, U.S.
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Residence: | Bradenton, Florida, U.S. |
Height: | 6'5" (196 cm)
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Weight: | 180 lbs (82 kg)
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Plays: | Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
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Turned Pro: | 2018 |
Sebastian Korda was born in Bradenton, Florida, United States, on July 5, 2020. His parents are Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtova - both former professional tennis players. In addition, Korda’s sisters, Jessica and Nelly, are professional golfers and compete on the LPGA tour.
Despite his parents’ elite tennis backgrounds, Korda initially wanted to play ice hockey professionally and played the sport from age three. However, after visiting the US Open, Korda changed his focus and committed to a tennis career at nine years old. The American player’s idols are
Rafael Nadal and his father, who won the 1998
Australian Open and reached the
Roland Garros final.
Korda impressed during his junior career and peaked in 2018 when he won the Boys' Australian Open, 20 years after his father won the men's title. Later in the 2018 season, Korda made his
ATP debut in New York before losing in straight sets against
Frances Tiafoe.
2019 was a year of development for Korda in professional tennis. He generally competed in ITF-level events and reached three finals during the 2019 season. Korda also got his first taste of Grand Slam tennis as a qualifier at the Australian Open and
US Open but was eliminated in the first qualifying round at each competition.
In 2020, Korda burst onto the professional tennis scene following some strong performances at the Grand Slams. The American made his major debut at the Roland Garros and reached the fourth round before losing to Nadal. After the defeat, Korda asked his Spanish idol for a signed shirt to commemorate the event.
Greater consistency followed in 2021 as Korda reached his first ATP final at the
Delray Beach Open but lost to
Hubert Hurkacz. Just five months later, Korda won his first ATP title, defeating Marco Cecchinato in the final of the
Parma Open.
It was also a strong season for runs in the biggest tournaments. Korda reached round four at
Wimbledon and the third round at the
Miami Open,
Monte-Carlo Masters, and
Cincinnati Open. Korda established himself as a consistent ATP-level player in 2021, and confidence continued to flow in 2022.
In January, he won his first Australian Open match, defeating
Cameron Norrie in round one, and made it to the third round. Korda also reached two more ATP finals at
Antwerp and
Gijon. Another impressive start came early in 2023 as Korda progressed to the
Adelaide International 1 final, eventually losing to
Novak Djokovic.
Then, Korda completed one of his best Grand Slam runs by reaching the quarter-finals of the Australian Open but had to retire in this match due to a wrist injury. The injury ruled Korda out for the first few months of 2023 and affected his mid-season performances.
He could not progress past round two at the Roland Garros and Wimbledon. However, the American player recovered to reach a sixth ATP career final at the
Astana Open, only to lose against
Adrian Mannarino. Korda then made it to the
Shanghai Masters semi-final in October but eventually lost to compatriot
Ben Shelton.