Five sports families where greatness runs in the blood
- Sebastian Korda's father Petr was a quarter finalist at Wimbledon in 1998
- His sisters Nelly and Jessica are professional golfers
- Nelly won her first golf major at the US PGA and took the number one spot last week
When Sebastian Korda attempts to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Monday, he will be trying to emulate his father Petr, who made the last eight in 1998.
Here’s a quick look at five sporting families where success is passed through generations:
The Kordas: Sebastian Korda, who will be looking to celebrate his 21st birthday by defeating Karen Khachanov and reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals, is the son of Petr Korda.
Petr was a quarter-finalist in 1998, the same year he won his only major at the Australian Open and reached number two in the world. Sebastian’s mother Regina Rajchrova won two titles on the WTA Tour.
Sebastian’s sisters Nelly and Jessica are professional golfers. Nelly won her first golf major at the US PGA and took the world number one spot last week.
The Andrettis: Mario Andretti who won the Formula One world title in 1978 remains the only man to have won the F1 championship, Indy 500 and Daytona 250. He also won races in the IndyCar series.
His sons, Michael and Jeff also raced — Michael won the IndyCar title in 1991 and his nephew joined the series in 1998. Mario’s grandson Marco finished second in the 2006 Indianapolis 500.
The Cowdreys: One of England’s finest batsmen, Colin Cowdrey played 114 Tests in a 21-year-long career. Cowdrey’s eldest son Chris played six times for England and captained the side for one game in 1986.
Colin and Chris Cowdrey were only the second father and son combination to have both captained England. Colin’s third son Graham had a 14-year county career. Chris Cowdrey’s son Fabian made his Kent debut in 2012.
The Maldinis: Cesare Maldini won four Serie A titles and a European Cup with AC Milan and 14 caps for Italy, featuring at the 1962 World Cup.
Maldini’s son Paolo spent his entire playing career at Milan winning a host of trophies including five European Cup/Champions League titles and seven Serie A championships.
His younger son Daniel, 19, made his Milan debut in February 2020 while older brother Christian played for the Milan youth team before moving to the lower leagues.
The Bothams: Ian Botham is arguably England’s greatest cricket all-rounder and probably the most controversial. He played 102 Tests, scored 14 centuries and claimed 383 wickets.
Ian’s son Liam played professional rugby league and rugby union. Ian’s grandson Liam plays rugby union and has played seven times for Wales as a flanker.
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