Petr Korda (born 23 January 1968) is a Czech former professional tennis player. As of 2016, Korda remains the last man from the Czech Republic to have won a Grand Slam singles title, at the Australian Open in 1998. He tested positive for steroids several months after winning the Australian Open, was subsequently banned, and retired shortly thereafter.
Career
Juniors
He first came to the tennis world's attention as a promising junior player. In 1985, he partnered with fellow Czech Cyril Suk to win the boy's doubles title at the French Open. Korda and Suk ranked the joint-World No. 1 junior doubles players that year.
Junior Slam results:
Australian Open: -
French Open: 3R (1986)
Wimbledon: QF (1986)
US Open: QF (1986)
Pro tour
Korda turned professional in 1987. He won his first career doubles title in 1988, and his first top-level singles title in 1991. Korda was involved in four Grand Slam finals during his career - two in singles and two in doubles.
In 1990 Korda and Goran Ivanišević finished runners-up in the men's doubles at the French Open. In 1992 he rose to the men's singles final at the French Open beating Christian Bergström, Shuzo Matsuoka, Michiel Schapers, Jaime Oncins, Andrei Cherkasov and Henri Leconte, before he was defeated in straight sets by defending champion Jim Courier 7-5, 6-2, 6-1. In 1996 he teamed-up with Stefan Edberg to win the men's doubles title at the Australian Open.
The crowning moment of Korda's career came in 1998, when he faced Marcelo Ríos in the men's singles final at the Australian Open. Korda dominated the match from start to finish by winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 and claimed his first (and only) Grand Slam singles title. The win propelled him to his career-high singles ranking of World No. 2. At four tournaments in 1998, Korda had the World No. 1 ranking in his sights, but he lost to Karol Kučera in Antwerp, Marcelo Ríos at Indian Wells, Tim Henman in Miami and Richard Krajicek in Monte Carlo. Korda's career-high doubles ranking was World No. 10.
Other highlights of Korda's career include winning the Grand Slam Cup in 1993, with five set wins in the semi final and final over Pete Sampras and Michael Stich, the number 1 and 2 tennis players in the world at that time. Korda also was a part of the Czech Republic's team which won the Hopman Cup in 1994, and he upset defending champion, Pete Sampras, in five sets in the fourth round of the 1997 US Open.
Korda also was known for the "Scissors Kick" which he would do at midcourt after winning matches.
Personal life
Korda married Regina Rajchrtová, a former professional tennis player from Czechoslovakia. They have three children, the oldest of whom, Jessica, was born on 27 February 1993; she is a professional golfer, and finished 19th in the 2008 U.S. Women's Open as a 15-year-old, with Korda as her caddy. At the 2013 U.S. Women's Open, he caddied for another of their daughters, Nelly, who was 14 years old at the time and the youngest player in the tournament.
Suspension and retirement
Following his quarter final match against Tim Henman at the 1998 Wimbledon Championships, Korda tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone. This was publicly revealed in December 1998. At the time, Korda was stripped of the ranking points and prize money that he had won at 1998 Wimbledon, but was not banned from the sport. The ITF soon announced that they felt that they had made a mistake in not banning Korda, and would be seeking to appeal against its own decision not to ban Korda from tennis competition. London's High Court ruled in late January 1999 that the ITF could not appeal against their own initial decision, but Korda was later banned from tennis for 12 months from September 1999 and stripped of the prize money and ranking points that he had won since July 1998 (although the suspension meant little as Korda had retired after failing to qualify for 1999 Wimbledon, losing to Danny Sapsford in a qualifying match). He did, however, compete in the Prague Challenger in December 2000 and the Prostějov Challenger in both 2001 and 2005 (the former in singles and doubles, the latter two only in doubles).
Grand Slam finals
Singles: 2 finals (1 title, 1 runner-up)
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1992 | French Open | Clay | Jim Courier | 5-7, 2-6, 1-6 |
Winner | 1998 | Australian Open | Hard | Marcelo Ríos | 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 |
Men's doubles: 2 finals (1 title, 1 runner-up)
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1990 | French Open | Clay | Goran Ivanišević | Sergio Casal Emilio Sánchez Vicario |
5-7, 3-6 |
Winner | 1996 | Australian Open | Hard | Stefan Edberg | Sébastien Lareau Alex O'Brien |
7-5, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 |
Career finals
Singles: 27 finals (10 titles, 17 runners-up)
Wins (10)
|
|
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | 30 October 1989 | Frankfurt, Germany | Carpet | Kevin Curren | 2-6, 5-7 |
Runner-up | 2. | 6 May 1991 | Tampa, USA | Clay | Richey Reneberg | 6-4, 4-6, 2-6 |
Runner-up | 3. | 22 July 1991 | Washington, D.C., USA | Hard | Andre Agassi | 3-6, 4-6 |
Runner-up | 4. | 29 July 1991 | Montreal, Canada | Hard | Andrei Chesnokov | 6-3, 4-6, 3-6 |
Winner | 1. | 19 August 1991 | New Haven, USA | Hard | Goran Ivanišević | 6-4, 6-2 |
Winner | 2. | 14 October 1991 | Berlin, Germany | Carpet | Arnaud Boetsch | 6-3, 6-4 |
Runner-up | 5. | 4 May 1992 | Munich, Germany | Clay | Magnus Larsson | 4-6, 6-4, 1-6 |
Runner-up | 6. | 8 June 1992 | French Open, Paris, France | Clay | Jim Courier | 5-7, 2-6, 1-6 |
Winner | 3. | 20 July 1992 | Washington, D.C., USA | Hard | Henrik Holm | 6-4, 6-4 |
Winner | 4. | 31 August 1992 | Long Island, USA | Hard | Ivan Lendl | 6-2, 6-2 |
Runner-up | 7. | 5 October 1992 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | Boris Becker | 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 4-6 |
Runner-up | 8. | 12 October 1992 | Toulouse, France | Hard (i) | Guy Forget | 3-6, 2-6 |
Winner | 5. | 26 October 1992 | Vienna, Austria | Carpet | Gianluca Pozzi | 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 |
Runner-up | 9. | 23 August 1993 | New Haven, USA | Hard | Andrei Medvedev | 5-7, 4-6 |
Runner-up | 10. | 11 October 1993 | Sydney, Australia | Hard (i) | Jaime Yzaga | 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(4-7), 6-7(7-9) |
Winner | 6. | 13 December 1993 | Grand Slam Cup, Munich, Germany | Carpet | Michael Stich | 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(7-5), 2-6, 11-9 |
Runner-up | 11. | 14 February 1994 | Milan, Italy | Carpet | Boris Becker | 2-6, 6-3, 3-6 |
Runner-up | 12. | 7 March 1994 | Indian Wells, USA | Hard | Pete Sampras | 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6 |
Runner-up | 13. | 2 May 1994 | Munich, Germany | Clay | Michael Stich | 2-6, 6-2, 3-6 |
Winner | 7. | 8 January 1996 | Doha, Qatar | Hard | Younes El Aynaoui | 7-6(7-5), 2-6, 7-6(7-5) |
Runner-up | 14. | 22 July 1996 | Ostrava, Czech Republic | Carpet | David Prinosil | 1-6, 2-6 |
Runner-up | 15. | 16 June 1997 | Halle, Germany | Grass | Yevgeny Kafelnikov | 6-7(2-7), 7-6(7-5), 6-7(7-9) |
Runner-up | 16. | 21 July 1997 | Washington, D.C., USA | Hard | Michael Chang | 7-5, 2-6, 1-6 |
Winner | 8. | 27 October 1997 | Stuttgart, Germany | Carpet | Richard Krajicek | 7-6(8-6), 6-2, 6-4 |
Runner-up | 17. | 10 November 1997 | Moscow, Russia | Carpet | Yevgeny Kafelnikov | 6-7(2-7), 4-6 |
Winner | 9. | 12 January 1998 | Doha, Qatar | Hard | Fabrice Santoro | 6-0, 6-3 |
Winner | 10. | 2 February 1998 | Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia | Hard | Marcelo Ríos | 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 |
Doubles: 24 finals (10 titles, 14 runners-up)
Wins (10)
No. | Year | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 1988 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Milan Šrejber | Andrés Gómez Emilio Sánchez |
7-6, 7-6 |
2. | 1988 | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Clay | Jaroslav Navrátil | Thomas Muster Horst Skoff |
7-5, 7-6 |
3. | 1989 | Stuttgart, Germany | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Florin Segărceanu Cyril Suk |
6-7, 6-3, 6-1 |
4. | 1990 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Andrés Gómez Javier Sánchez |
6-2, 6-1 |
5. | 1991 | New Haven, USA | Hard | Wally Masur | Jeff Brown Scott Melville |
W/O |
6. | 1991 | Berlin, Germany | Carpet | Karel Nováček | Jan Siemerink Daniel Vacek |
3-6, 7-5, 7-5 |
7. | 1993 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Stefan Edberg | Paul Haarhuis Mark Koevermans |
6-2, 2-6, 7-5 |
8. | 1993 | Halle, Germany | Grass | Cyril Suk | Mike Bauer Marc-Kevin Goellner |
7-6, 5-7, 6-3 |
9. | 1993 | Cincinnati, USA | Hard | Andre Agassi | Stefan Edberg Henrik Holm |
6-4, 7-6 |
10. | 1996 | Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia | Hard | Stefan Edberg | Sébastien Lareau Alex O'Brien |
7-5, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 |
Runners-up (14)
No. | Year | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 1987 | Palermo, Italy | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Leonardo Lavalle Claudio Panatta |
6-3, 4-6, 4-6 |
2. | 1989 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Milan Šrejber | Cássio Motta Todd Witsken |
4-6, 3-6 |
3. | 1989 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Emilio Sánchez Javier Sánchez |
5-7, 6-7 |
4. | 1989 | Prague, Czechoslovakia | Clay | Gene Mayer | Jordi Arrese Horst Skoff |
4-6, 4-6 |
5. | 1990 | Munich, Germany | Clay | Tomáš Šmíd | Udo Riglewski Michael Stich |
1-6, 4-6 |
6. | 1990 | French Open, Paris, France | Clay | Goran Ivanišević | Sergio Casal Emilio Sánchez |
5-7, 3-6 |
7. | 1990 | New Haven, USA | Hard | Goran Ivanišević | Jeff Brown Scott Melville |
6-2, 5-7, 0-6 |
8. | 1991 | Basel, Switzerland | Hard (i) | John McEnroe | Jakob Hlasek Patrick McEnroe |
6-3, 6-7, 6-7 |
9. | 1992 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Karel Nováček | Boris Becker Michael Stich |
4-6, 4-6 |
10. | 1992 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Cyril Suk | Hendrik Jan Davids Libor Pimek |
W/O |
11. | 1994 | Munich, Germany | Clay | Boris Becker | Yevgeny Kafelnikov David Rikl |
6-7, 5-7 |
12. | 1995 | Milan, Italy | Carpet | Karel Nováček | Boris Becker Guy Forget |
2-6, 4-6 |
13. | 1995 | Washington, D.C., USA | Hard | Cyril Suk | Olivier Delaître Jeff Tarango |
6-1, 3-6, 2-6 |
14. | 1996 | Indianapolis, USA | Hard | Cyril Suk | Jim Grabb Richey Reneberg |
6-7, 6-4, 4-6 |
Singles performance timeline
Tournament | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | SR | W-L |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grand Slams | ||||||||||||||||||
Australian Open | A | NH | A | A | A | 2R | 2R | 1R | QF | 1R | 3R | 1R | 1R | W | 3R | A | 1 / 10 | 17-9 |
French Open | A | A | A | 2R | A | 2R | 2R | F | 2R | 1R | 1R | 3R | 4R | 1R | 2R | A | 0 / 11 | 15-11 |
Wimbledon | A | A | A | 3R | A | 1R | 1R | 2R | 4R | 2R | 4R | A | 4R | QF | Q2 | A | 0 / 9 | 17-9 |
US Open | A | A | A | 1R | A | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | A | QF | 3R | QF | 1R | A | A | 0 / 9 | 11-9 |
Win-Loss | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3-3 | 0-0 | 3-4 | 2-4 | 7-4 | 8-4 | 1-3 | 9-4 | 4-3 | 9-4 | 11-3 | 3-2 | 0-0 | 1 / 39 | 60-38 |
ATP Masters Series | ||||||||||||||||||
Indian Wells | Tournaments Were Not Masters Series Events Before 1990 |
A | 1R | 3R | QF | F | 2R | 1R | A | QF | 1R | A | 0 / 8 | 11-8 | ||||
Miami | 2R | 2R | 3R | SF | QF | 2R | 4R | 2R | 4R | 1R | A | 0 / 10 | 14-10 | |||||
Monte Carlo | 2R | A | 2R | 3R | 2R | 1R | 3R | A | QF | A | A | 0 / 7 | 7-7 | |||||
Rome | 1R | A | SF | A | A | 1R | 2R | A | 1R | A | A | 0 / 5 | 5-5 | |||||
Hamburg | 1R | A | 2R | A | 3R | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 4 | 2-4 | |||||
Canada | 2R | F | QF | SF | 2R | 2R | 3R | 1R | 2R | A | A | 0 / 9 | 13-9 | |||||
Cincinnati | 1R | 2R | QF | 2R | 2R | 2R | 2R | 2R | QF | A | A | 0 / 9 | 9-9 | |||||
Madrid (Stuttgart) | 3R | QF | QF | QF | 1R | A | A | W | 2R | A | A | 1 / 7 | 13-6 | |||||
Paris | 1R | QF | 2R | 3R | QF | A | SF | 3R | 2R | A | A | 0 / 8 | 11-8 | |||||
Win-Loss | N/A | 3-8 | 11-6 | 12-9 | 13-7 | 14-8 | 4-7 | 13-7 | 7-4 | 8-8 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1 / 67 | 85-66 | ||||
Ranking | 794 | 511 | 87 | 188 | 59 | 38 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 18 | 41 | 24 | 13 | 13 | DQ | 1332 |
Doubles performance timeline
Tournament | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | SR | W-L |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grand Slams | ||||||||||||||||||
Australian Open | NH | A | A | A | 2R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 3R | SF | W | 2R | A | A | A | A | 1 / 8 | 15-7 |
French Open | A | 1R | 2R | 2R | F | 2R | QF | SF | A | 1R | 3R | 3R | A | A | A | A | 0 / 10 | 19-10 |
Wimbledon | A | A | 1R | A | 2R | 2R | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 4 | 2-4 |
US Open | A | A | A | 3R | 2R | 3R | 1R | A | A | 3R | 1R | 1R | A | A | A | A | 0 / 7 | 7-7 |
Win-Loss | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1-2 | 3-2 | 8-4 | 4-4 | 4-4 | 4-2 | 2-1 | 6-3 | 8-2 | 3-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 / 29 | 43-28 |
ATP Masters Series | ||||||||||||||||||
Indian Wells | Not MS1 Before 1990 |
1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 6 | 0-6 | |||
Miami | 2R | A | QF | QF | A | QF | 3R | 1R | A | A | A | A | 0 / 6 | 12-5 | ||||
Monte Carlo | W | A | F | W | 1R | 1R | 1R | A | QF | A | A | A | 2 / 7 | 16-4 | ||||
Rome | 1R | A | 2R | A | A | 2R | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 4 | 3-4 | ||||
Hamburg | 2R | A | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 2 | 2-2 | ||||
Canada | 1R | 2R | A | A | 1R | 1R | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 5 | 2-5 | ||||
Cincinnati | 2R | 1R | 1R | W | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | A | A | A | 1 / 9 | 8-7 | ||||
Madrid (Stuttgart) | QF | A | A | A | A | A | 2R | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 2 | 2-2 | ||||
Paris | 1R | A | A | 2R | A | A | QF | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 3 | 3-3 | ||||
Win-Loss | N/A | 9-8 | 1-3 | 9-6 | 14-3 | 1-4 | 4-5 | 7-7 | 0-2 | 3-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 / 44 | 48-38 | |||
Ranking | 296 | 91 | 46 | 26 | 15 | 63 | 64 | 32 | 115 | 44 | 23 | 220 | 321 | DQ | 1009 | 1536 |