Korda calls time away from court injured a 'blessing in disguise': "I had three months to really build the body"

American tennis star Sebastian Korda made his return to the ATP circuit with a first round victory at the 2023 Roland Garros tournament, ousting compatriot Mackenzie McDonald in straight sets.

Korda had been sidelined after obtaining a wrist injury at this year's Australian Open, but looked revitalized during his win over McDonald. The 22-year old credited his success to concentrating on the physical aspects of his game, as he added more muscle during his three-month hiatus.

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"It's been a while since I won a tennis match, so it was nice to win one. Definitely gives me confidence to keep going," said Korda. "Lot's gone on, new addition to my team, bringing Jez Green, put a lot of weight on. I put like seven kilos of muscle on. Just kind of getting my feet comfortable again. Just one step at a time, kind of learning how to play again a little bit."

Furthermore, the World No.30 believes his injury helped him realize what had been missing from his game.

"At the beginning I couldn't relax my wrist, it was just kind of mental pain at some point," added Korda. "I think it was obviously a tough period for me, but a blessing in disguise. I had three months to really build the body and set a base that will basically be with me for the rest of my career.

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"I think that was one of the things I needed most was to kind of get the body right. The tennis I always had. It was getting ready for these long best-of-five matches to make deep runs."