In recognition of the upcoming Father’s Day, we thought it would be fun to take a peek at some of the Pappas and the Players of the ATP. We discovered some fun facts about some amazing men and their spectacular families.
Being a Pro is a Family Affair
Tennis isn’t always a family affair but for Petr Korda and his son Sebastian Korda being a pro is a labor of love. This Father-son duo is making news for their athleticism and for their successful working relationship. Petr is Sebastian’s coach and was one of his idols growing up along with Radek Stepanek and Rafael Nadal.
Currently 20 years of age, Sebastian started playing when he was eight. After an excellent juniors experience, His career began after winning the Boy’s Singles title at the 2018 Australian Open. He defeated Tseng Chun-hsin in the finals, winning 7–6, 6–4. The monumental moment occurred nearly 20 years after his father won the Australian Open in 1998. Petr was also the runner-up at the 1992 French Open and reached a career-high ATP ranking of No. 2 in February 1998.
Labeled an “American up and comer”, Sebastian lost during the first round at Roland Garros last month. He played Pedro Martínez and lost 6-4,6-2,6-2. Currently, Sebastian is ranked No. 50 in the world. He hopes to climb the ranking totem pole and will get opportunities at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. We’re expecting great things from this awesome player and know he will make his dad proud.
Historic Father-Son-Pros
Perhaps one of the most famous father-son pairs is Fred Stolle and his son Sandon Stolle. The righthanded Aussie’s are best know for their character, leadership, and positive influence on the sport.
Fred, now 82, turned pro in 1966. Sandon, now 50, turned pro in 1991, shortly after he was named All-American in 1990 at Texas Christian University.
Among Fred’s career highlights are a whopping 39 titles. He was ranked as high as No. 2 and some of his Grand Slam title results include Australian Open (Finalist 1964, 1965), French Open (Champion 1965), Wimbledon (Finalist 1963, 1964, 1965), and US Open (Champion 1966). He also has an impressive doubles record.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Sandon 2003 earned an impressive 22 career titles, exclusively in doubles. Sandon utilized a two-handed backhand to compile a career record 100–120. He was ranked as high as No. 50 in singles, but never made it past the third round of a major.
According to the International Tennis Federation, the Stolle’s are one of a few father-and-son pairs that have been able to crack the top 100 in the Open Era, dating back to 1968.
Current Pappa Players
Nowadays, there are a lot of Pappa Pros playing on the tour. Among them is Roger Federer. He and his wife, Mirka, have two sets of twins. His daughters Myla and Charlene were born on July 23, 2009. His sons Leo and Lenny were born on May 6, 2014.
The dedicated father typically travels with his family, but that wasn’t the case at the recent French Open. Due to stricter travel regulations, his family was not able to make the trip to Paris and stayed home in Bottmingen, Switzerland. Roger wound up withdrawing from the tournament after a third-round victory. He shared that it was a tough decision but having had two knee surgeries, and more than a year of rehabilitation, he wanted to preserve his body for one of his favorite surfaces – grass.
Another pro parent is John Isner. He and his wife Madison welcomed their daughter, Hunter Grace in 2017 and their son John Hobbs in 2019. One of John’s most famous matches is the longest in history, vs Nicolas Mahut at the 2010 Wimbledon. It took 11 hours and 5 minutes and was played over three days. Isner won with a fifth set score of 70-68 advancing to the second round.
Recent French Open winner Novak Djokovic, is a proud papa on and off the court. Ranked No. 1, the Serbian and his wife Jelena have two young children, Stefan and Tara. No doubt a future hall-of-famer, Novak has an impressive 954-195 win-loss record and 84 titles. He has earned almost $150 Million over his 8-year career.
Three-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray and his wife, Kim, welcomed their fourth child earlier in the year. Murray, predominantly private about his personal life, spoke publicly about the hurdles of the worldwide pandemic. Besides, he shared that it was an opportunity to spend time with his family and was grateful because of it.
More pappa pro players include Stan Wawrinka, Feliciano Lopez, and Taylor Fritz.
Gift Ideas for your Dad
If you’re looking for a unique and special gift this Father’s Day, I encourage you to check out some awesome collectibles. We also have a variety of gifts for him and there’s always a Tennis Express Gift Card.
We hope you enjoyed this information and remind you to celebrate the father figure in your life by visiting TennisExpress.com.
For More:
