Respected American coach Rick Macci bills, Sebastian Korda to end the American Grand Slam drought. The coach believes the son of former ATP and WTA athletes Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtova, carries the germs it takes to be a prodigy in the sport. Macci lauded the range of shots and all-round game of 23-year old who he feels has all the tennis pedigree needed to achieve great success.
“I see Sebastian Korda as the next potential US slam winner,” said Macci while talking to OLBG.
“He has the pedigree given his parents playing on the professional tour. His backhand is rock solid, and his forehand is a bit like Federer’s, with lots of spin.
“He can hit the ball short and bring you in, he has imagination and he can volley. If he serves a little better, I can see him competing for and winning Grand Slams. He could be the next great American men’s player.”
Korda is the #3 seed at Winston-Salem which is scheduled to get underway in North Carolina next week. Though he reached the championship match in Adelaide and the quarters at the Melbourne Park, the next-gen American has not recorded much success in 2023 Season.
The coach also praised the now 2-time Slam winner Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz who will be defending his title at Flushing Meadows. Macci doesn’t look past 2023 SW19 Champion for the New York major and assesses 20-year-old’s game as complete having all the tools and weaponry. He compared the all-action-style of Alcaraz akin to a Broadway performer who is born to shine in the biggest occasions of the sport.
“Alcaraz is a generational talent, he’s something the tennis world has never seen before. He brings something to the table that we’ve never witnessed,” Macci added.
“His make-up speed is like no other, once he hits that other gear, his speed is unreal. He’s great off the ground, his volleys are textbook, and he can chip it and rip it.
“He’s a Broadway performer, he was meant to do this, and he doesn’t feel the pressure. He loses a 20-ball rally and smiles at you! Mentally, he is very, very good.
“He’s a combination of Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Agassi. He has a little bit of everything. There are no holes in his game and he’s only 20!”
Alcaraz is set to clash with Novak Djokovic in the blockbuster final on Sunday to deny the Serb his record-extending 39th Masters title while the latter will give everything he has to take the revenge of heart-breaking Wimbledon loss. The Spanish #1 is now a top seed at the US Open, thanks to his final run at Cincy.