My mum won Australian Open twice then switched nationality, now I’m making my own way in tennis for different country
ELIZABETH MANDLIK has the perfect role model as she tries to make her way in tennis.
Even though she is representing neither of the two countries her mum flew the flag for.
Mandlik, 23, was born in Florida in May 2001, on the same day as her twin brother Mark.
Now she is following in the footsteps of her famous mother by turning pro on the tennis circuit.
As of the start of 2025, Mandlik is currently ranked 275th in the world.
The American national has picked up an impressive £600,000 ($748,000) in prize money since turning pro.
Mandlik won her maiden Grand Slam match in the first round at the 2022 US Open before losing to eventual runner-up Ons Jabeur.
But she has a long way to go to match the career of her mum.
That is because Mandlik is the daughter of five-time Major winner Hana Mandlikova.
Mandlikova, 62, represented Czechoslovakia for the first ten years of her pro career from 1978 to 1988 having been the first female world No1 junior.
And that impressive decade included her four singles Grand Slams.
She won the 1980 Australian Open, 1981 French Open, 1985 US Open and 1987 Australian Open – the latter two coming after beating Martina Navratilova in the finals.
Navratilova did get the better of Mandlikova in the 1986 Wimbledon final while it was Chris Evert who she lost to in 1981, weeks after ending Evert’s 72-match winning streak on clay at the French Open semis.
Mandlikova, by then having switched to Australia following her marriage to Czech-born Australian restaurateur Jan Sedlak, then teamed up with Navratilova to win the US Open women’s doubles title in 1989.
The four-time Fed Cup winner reached a peak of No3 in the singles world rankings.
She called time on her career in 1990, retiring aged just 28.
Tennis stars following in parents' footsteps
TALK about pressure…
These rising stars are all making their way in tennis.
But they have got something in common – they’ve got a famous parent who also made their name in the sport.
So who are the players hoping to follow in the footsteps of their tennis mums and dads?
- My dad is one of the greatest tennis players ever… but he’s not my idol
- My mum won US Open aged 16 then Wimbledon… but you won’t know it from my surname
- My Czech dad won Australian Open and my sisters are elite golfers… but I’m playing for different country
- My millionaire dad played with Federer… but I’ve reached three Grand Slam finals
- My dad earned £1m and got to French Open final… but I’ve already surpassed his career
- My record-breaking dad is in tennis Hall of Fame and won Wimbledon… but I’m aiming to emulate his achievements
Mandlikova – whose dad Vilem Mandlik competed as a sprinter at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics – was inducted into tennis’ Hall of Fame in 1994 and became a mother seven years later.
The Prague-born star and Sedlak divorced two years on from their wedding in 1986, soon after obtaining Australian citizenship.
She then gave birth to twins Mark and Elizabeth in 2001, with their father a friend who was to have no role in their upbringing.
Now Mandlikova has switched from tennis superstar to tennis supermum, cheering on her daughter as she rises up the ranks.
Mandlik hit her highest ranking as world No97 in June 2023 – three years after making her WTA Tour debut.
She has seven ITF Circuit singles titles to her name – spread across the USA, Italy, Tunisia and Brazil – plus doubles successes in Romania, South Africa and America.
Tennis stars’ new careers
PLENTY of tennis stars have stayed involved in the sport since retiring.
But others pursued very different careers. Here are some of the best…
- I reached French Open and Wimbledon finals as a teenager but I quit to become a nun
- I won Wimbledon mixed doubles with my sister but got fed up with English weather so now run luxury B&B
- I was tipped for stardom aged 12 but retrained to become high-flying lawyer
- I earned £9m and won French Open before setting up bistro with Brazilian model girlfriend
- I’m last Frenchman to win Roland Garros, now I’m singer with six albums hitting No1 in charts
- I’m former world No1 but quit aged 29 – instead I went on to play professional poker and golf
- I was destined for the top but swapped lobs for labs as award-winning Harvard physicist