The women’s game has seen some famous sister acts in recent times. Venus and Serena Williams have both won multiple grand slams in singles and doubles and have been world no.1s. Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska is currently ranked no. 4 in the world while younger sister Urszula is currently ranked no. 33. And the 20 year old Pliskova twins, Karolina and Krystina from the Czech Republic, have both recently cracked the top 100 in singles.
In the men’s game though, there hasn’t been a famous brother act since the McEnroes or the Sanchezs. That could change soon. If you scroll down the current world rankings, you would find several famous last names – younger brothers of more established players trying to follow in their sibling’s footsteps and make a name for themselves in the tennis world.
Having an older more established brother in the same sport comes with its own pros and cons. A famous last name can get you wild cards into high-profile events. Besides having a role model, a readily available practice and doubles partner within the family, having someone who has tread the same path that you are setting out on and being able to learn from their mistakes as well as the financial support has great advantages.
But along with those benefits also comes increased expectations and scrutiny. Just ask Marko and Djordje Djokovic. Marko, the middle Djokovic brother, is currently 21 years old and ranked no. 656 in the world, having peaked at no. 581 last October. Marko has won 1 match in 4 events this year –competing in mostly the minor league ITFs. The highlight of his 2012 season was an ITF Futures title back in Serbia. At 21, Novak had already won his first grand slam title and was ranked in the top 3 in the world. That’s a high bar for anyone to match.
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