Sebastian Korda: Playing Style
Sebastian Korda is a very tidy player who has a consistent game that is based on pure ball striking and agility. He has an aggressive game style, preferring to force the issue and make his way into the net rather than grind points out from the baseline.
Korda is a very solid player who has a measured approach to the game. Standing at 6’5” he uses his long levers to his advantage, always looking to take the ball on and get up the court whenever possible.
His swings are pretty compact, which allows him to react quickly to fast oncoming balls and redirect them with interest.
Another key advantage of Korda’s technique is he can stay on top of the baseline and take time away from his opponent easily. This really stands out when you watch him play as he is always hugging the baseline and rarely gives up ground, even when he is defending.
This has the knock-on effect of giving him less distance to run (although he still has to cover shorter distances quickly), and a more aggressive court position throughout the point. His wide wingspan and stance mean he can cover a lot of ground with only a few steps and turn defense into attack with a single shot.
Whilst he can easily maintain his composure from the baseline in drawn-out rallies, he is always looking to rush his opponent and transition up to the net.
Korda is a tall guy and his height also allows him to take balls on the rise and hit them aggressively where others cannot. This again helps his assertive game style and helps him shorten the points.
Korda possesses a lot of power in his serve and groundstrokes. However, he chooses more to break his opponents down with a barrage of deep groundies that soften them up, giving him an easier ball to put away. This is more of a tactical ploy as he chooses to wear his opponents down rather than blast them off the court, which makes his matches more of a war of attrition than Armageddon.
Compared to some of his young contemporaries, Korda has some of the best hand skills out there. He is a natural volleyer and is not afraid to demonstrate his prowess up at the net. He is particularly good at digging out low volleys off his shoelaces, even when he is caught approaching the net in no-man’s-land. This skill will make him a great doubles player if he chooses to go down that road at some point in his career.
Korda is also a fan of the drop shot and will use it to lure his opponents into the net where he can then easily pick them off with a put-away volley. Sebastian Korda has one of the most complete games of any of the rising stars in men’s tennis, and he is sure to go from strength to strength as he matures.
Sebastian Korda: Personal Bio
When it comes to players with tennis in their genes, they don’t come much better than the Korda family.
Sebastian’s father, Petr Korda, is a former world number 2 and Australian Open champion. Petr also reached the final of the French Open in 1992, losing to the great Jim Courier, as well as the quarter-finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open. Petr won 10 career titles in singles and a further 10 in doubles, with other career highlights including the Hopman Cup, Australian Open men’s doubles title, and winner of the Grand Slam Cup.
Sebastian’s mother Regina also reached number 26 in the WTA rankings and reached the 4th round of the US Open in singles and the quarter-final of the French Open in doubles. Regina coached young Sebastian as a kid and his father, Petr, now coaches him alongside Dean Goldfine and Theodor Devoty.
So, Seb’s tennis skills clearly run in the family!
If you thought his parent’s sporting achievements were impressive, you should hear about his sisters! Both are professional golfers and are currently playing on the LPGA Tour. Older sister Jessica reached number 6 in the world on the tour in 2018 and has won 6 professional titles on the main tour.
Younger sister Nelly became world number 1 in 2021 after winning the Women’s PGA Championships in the same year. Nelly has won 7 titles so far in her career and is 5 years younger than her sister, so still has a lot of potential!
Back to Seb himself. He enjoyed playing hockey as a kid and his idol is Rafael Nadal. He is also a keen golfer like his sisters and even named his cat Rafa after the king of clay!
Sebastian Korda: What the Bros Say
Sebastian Korda has one of the most complete games of all the NextGen players on tour at the moment. Whilst he doesn’t have the same raw power as Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner, he has a tall frame and a certain intelligence and court craft that a lot of players in his age bracket don’t. Korda is a big hitter who plays with margin and is able to move his opponents around with ease.
One area that Korda could improve on even further is his aggressive nature. Whilst he is very good at coming into the net and using his power to rush his opponents, at times he can be a bit too patient and this can keep rallies going for longer than they otherwise would.
This is a very minor point that he will definitely improve over time once he has grown into his frame and his game style, but it is something that he could benefit from. Whilst he has a big serve, he could also use more placement to gain more free points from it, as he is a tall guy and could develop his serve into a huge weapon.
Dad Petr also coached Radek Stepanek for around 10 years, guiding him to the top 10 in the world. For this reason, Sebastian is a big fan of Radek and again his influence can be seen in Korda’s game. His shorter backswings and pure ball striking along with his relaxed demeanor on court remind us a lot of the Czech star.
Sebastian Korda: How Far Can He Go?
Sebastian Korda has got the potential to be a great of the game. He reached the 4th round of the French Open and Wimbledon on his debuts at each event, which is an impressive achievement. Korda also had a strong junior career, becoming world number 1 and winning the Australian Open junior title in 2018.
He has had a couple of good showings at the Masters 1000 level, reaching the quarter-finals at the Miami Masters in 2021. He also claimed his first ATP title at the Emilia-Romagna Open in Italy, just before the French Open.
He has already claimed wins over players like Roberto Bautista-Agut, Fabio Fognini, Kei Nishikori, Aslan Karatsev, and Marin Cilic. Those are some pretty impressive scalps for someone who has only been playing on the men’s tour for 3 years.
Can Korda go on to be a grand slam champion like his father? Only time will tell. What we can say though, is he definitely has the weapons, pedigree, and work ethic to reach the top. Let’s hope it all comes together for him.
Sebastian Korda: Reasons to Support
Sebastian Korda comes across as a likable guy who tends to show mainly positive emotions on the court. The fact that he comes from a family of champion tennis players and golfers increases his notoriety. A lot of his fans urge him to step out of his father’s shadow and become a grand slam champion in his own right, and this is something he definitely has the tools to do.
Korda is also a cool, calm, and collected character on the court, which makes him a good role model for kids watching him play. This attitude allows him to focus on the task at hand, but it also seems like Korda is not afraid to have fun on the court. He is an intelligent guy who can work out ways to beat his opponents using different tactics, rather than just sticking to a single game plan. He also has a big personality off the court, often showing his lighter side in interviews and on social media.
