Credit: Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty; Paul Kane/Getty
Many of the world’s biggest tennis stars were raised by retired professional tennis players.
The love of the sport runs in the family for athletes like Ben Shelton, whose father, Bryan Shelton, peaked as a top 60 singles player in the 1990s.
“It took me a long time to get to where he’s at, and he started later than I did,” the proud dad told TheNew York Times in August 2022. “So he’s just a different animal than I was, and I try not to compare too much what I did and just help him along the way, but I also realize he’s got a much higher ceiling.”
On the WTA Tour, meanwhile, players like Elizabeth Mandlik are also following in the footsteps of their parents. Mandlik’s mom, Hana Mandlíková, won four Grand Slam singles titles in her heyday. In 1994, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
“[My mother] always just tried to put in my head that whatever you do, you did it, and it doesn’t matter what she did,” Mandlik told USTA.com in November 2025.
Here are eight tennis pros whose parents also played professionally.
01 of 08
Casper Ruud and his dad, Christian RuudCasper Ruud with his father and coach Christian Ruud on Day Thirteen of the 2025 Mutua Madrid Open.Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Casper Ruud became the highest ranked Norwegian player in ATP history when he reached the ranking of world No. 2 in September 2022. He started playing tennis at the age of four with his dad, Christian Ruud, who also played on the ATP Tour and who peaked at No. 39.
Christian is his son’s coach and has been by his side throughout his career. In September 2021, Casper recalled the first time he beat his father in a tennis match in an interview with The New York Times.
“I was 14 or 15, but my dad thinks I was 16. We had spent a year playing tournaments all over Europe, so we stayed home the next year to work on my physique and developing my character on court. On the weekends, we would try to play a little bit against each other,” Casper recalled. “After a couple of tries, I beat him 6-2. He wasn’t too pleased because he didn’t play well. He gave it away with a lot of mistakes.”
Christian, for his part, opened up about their father-son dynamic in an interview with ATPTour.com in May 2025.
“I feel like a coach, a father, and also a friend,” he said. “We have a lot of the same interests: We like to play golf and we listen to a little bit of the same music. Of course, we have the father-son relationship, but he also respects that I’m also his coach, and he doesn’t make a fuss about it.”
02 of 08
Sebastian Korda and his parents, Petr Korda and Regina RajchrtováNelly Korda with brother Sebastian Korda, mother Regina Rajchrtova, and father Petr Korda at Pelican 2024 in Belleair, Florida.Credit: Cliff Hawkins/Getty
American tennis star Sebastian Korda got his love of tennis from both his parents. His dad, Petr Korda, was once ranked world No. 2 and won the Australian Open in 1998. His wife and Sebastian’s mom, Regina Rajchrtová, played on the WTA Tour and competed for Czechoslovakia at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
“Definitely having the name Korda gets me a little bit nervous, but I like the attention, so it doesn’t really bother me at all,” Sebastian told USOpen.org in September 2016. “My parents always said it was my choice, and whatever I wanted to do they’ll support me. I chose tennis, and they support me.”
03 of 08
Cruz Hewitt and his dad, Lleyton HewittLleyton Hewitt and Cruz Hewitt at the 2024 Newcombe Medal in Melbourne, Australia.Credit: Graham Denholm/Getty
Australian Cruz Hewitt is following in the footsteps of his dad, Lleyton Hewitt, who was once ranked world No. 1. The retired star held the No. 1 ranking for 80 weeks and won the US Open in 2001, followed by Wimbledon in 2002.
Cruz earned his first win on the ATP Tour as a 17-year-old in July 2026 at the Mubadala DC Open. His celebration included his dad’s signature hand gesture.
“It’s called the Vicht, I think. I need to check on that to be honest,” Cruz told the Tennis Channel, per ATPTour.com. “[Lleyton] never named it, he just always did it. And when I was little I just saw it and never really asked about it.”
“But no, it’s cool to be able to do that because obviously my dad has been a huge part of where I am today,” he added. “So I’m grateful to be able to have him.”
04 of 08
Ben Shelton and his dad, Bryan SheltonBen Shelton celebrates with his father Bryan Shelton after the 2025 National Bank Open in Toronto, Ontario.Credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty
Ben has found huge success on the ATP Tour thanks to his dad, Bryan, who coached him from the junior courts of Atlanta to a national title at the University of Florida. Ben’s rise since turning pro in 2022 has included seven ATP titles. He is currently ranked No. 9 in the world.
In 2023, Bryan — who peaked as a top 60 singles player in the 1990s — stepped away from his coaching job at the University of Florida to travel full-time with his son. Ben later attributed their successful partnership to his father’s straightforward approach.
“He doesn’t sugarcoat things, he’s honest. I think I take things well from him because I respect the career he had as a player, I respect him as a coach and I respect him as my dad,” the younger Shelton shared during a post-match press conference in August 2025, per ATPTour.com. “He respects me in the same way.”
05 of 08
Elizabeth Mandlik and her mom, Hana MandlíkováElizabeth Mandlik and her mother Hana Mandlíková.Credit: Patrick Becher/Panther Media Global via Alamy
Hana won four Gram Slam singles titles in her heyday, plus a doubles Gram Slam title with Martina Navratilova at the US Open in 1989. The Czech–Australian was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1994.
Now her daughter, Elizabeth, is charting her own path. The American reached a career-high WTA ranking of No. 97 in 2023 before being briefly sidelined by injuries in 2024. Despite her mother’s success, Mandlik says that she never felt pressured to play tennis.
“She influenced me in a way that... ‘If you don’t want to play the sport, if you want to quit right now, that’s totally okay,’ ” Mandlik told USTAcom in November 2025. “She never put pressure on me. She never made it seem like, ‘Oh, because I played you have to play,’ or ‘Because I played, you have to be good.’ ”
06 of 08
Brandon Holt and his mom, Tracy AustinBrandon Holt during the 2023 Australian Open; Tracy Austin after winning the United States Open.Credit: Mackenzie Sweetnam/Getty; Bettmann/Getty
At just 16, Tracy Austin became the youngest person to ever win the US Open. She followed that up with another US Open title two years later, and was ranked world No. 1 on the WTA Tour for 21 weeks in 1980. At 29, she was also the youngest person to ever be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1992.
Austin’s son, Brandon Holt, is now following in her footsteps. He turned pro in 2020 after a college career at the the University of Southern California. Far from feeling pressure, Holt is appreciative of his mother’s decorated career and the opportunities it affords him.
“I think the cool part of being her son is that I get access around the tennis community,” he told USOpen.org in September 2016.
“There are a lot of crazy tennis parents out there who don’t know the process,” he added. “I think having a parent who knows the process and that you can really trust their guidance because they’ve been there, is for me... I know what she says is always going to be pretty accurate, even if I don’t always listen.”
07 of 08
Maria Sakkari and her mom, Angeliki KanellopoulouMaria Sakkari and her mother, Angeliki Kanellopoulou.Credit: Rob Prange/Shutterstock
Maria Sakkari became the first Greek woman to reach world No. 3 in 2022 after making it all the way to the finals at the Indian Wells Open. She takes after her mother, Angeliki Kanellopoulou, a former professional tennis player whose highest ranking was world No. 43 in 1987.
Sakkari says that while her mother has been supportive, she isn’t overbearing.
“She helped me out a few times when I didn’t have a coach,” Sakkari said during an appearance on the TENNIS.com Podcastin November 2020. “But when I was little, I was practicing with my grandfather up until I was 12 or 13 because he was my mom’s coach. And then just worked with some other people, but my mom was there with me. She called herself the emergency coach.”
08 of 08
Leo Borg and his dad, Bjorn BorgLeo Borg of Sweden during the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell 2025; Bjorn Borg during the 1974 Wimbledon Tennis Championships.Credit: Pedro Salado/Getty; Tony Duffy/Getty
More than four decades after his retirement from professional tennis, Bjorn Borg remains one of the legends of the sport. The Swede earned 11 Grand Slam singles titles, including five consecutive wins at Wimbledon and six wins total at the French Open. He also spent more than 100 weeks at world No. 1 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.
Bjorn’s son, Leo, is now playing his dad’s sport. The younger Borg is currently ranked at No. 551.
“He’s always going to be reminded of me, and that’s kind of a burden for him,” Bjorn said in a November 2018 interview with TheNew York Times. “So I don’t put pressure on him, and I try to make sure that the life he lives doesn’t give him any pressure. That’s our task. That’s our way of helping him. Then, the only person who can put pressure on him is himself.”
“I understand it,” Leo added. “It’s not bothering me so much. I’ve always known who is my dad.”
Read the original article on People
Leave a Comment