7 lesser-known siblings of tennis superstars ft. Naomi Osaka, Novak Djokovic
Growing up, siblings often choose the same hobbies, and at times they end up doing the same thing for a long time, forging a career in the same field. The world of sports has witnessed domination by the same family for an extended period of time.
There are quite a few examples in tennis itself. Serena and Venus Williams rose to the top of the game at the same time and stamped their authority on the women's tour for two decades.
As individuals, Serena Williams has won 23 Grand Slam titles, while Venus Williams has seven. Together, they've won a total of 14 Major titles in women's doubles, along with three Olympic gold medals.
2009 Wimbledon Women's Final:
(2)Serena Williams def. (3)Venus Williams 7-6(3), 6-2
Serena captured her 3rd Wimbledon singles title & 11th major. It was the 2nd time she stopped Venus from achieving a Wimbledon "3-peat."
This was the 4th all-Williams singles final at Wimbledon https://t.co/va4v71EYkY
The Bryan brothers - Bob and Mike - have gone on to become the most successful duo in the history of men's doubles. The identical twins have won 16 Grand Slam titles and a total of 119 doubles titles on the tour.
Siblings have found success while playing on different tours as well. Marat Safin and Dinara Safina have ascended to the top of the rankings during their respective careers. While Safin was able to scoop up a couple of Grand Slam titles, his younger sister couldn't get over the finish line, finishing as the runner-up thrice.
However, not every sibling pair has managed to achieve a similar amount of success. Often, one ends up eclipsing the other in a significant manner. On that note, let's take a look at the seven lesser known siblings of tennis pros.
#1) Novak Djokovic, Djordje Djokovic and Marko Djokovic
Novak Djokovic needs no introduction. With his numerous achievements, he has etched his name in the record books. However, he has two younger brothers who also play the sport.
Marko Djokovic reached a career-high ranking of No. 571 in singles and No. 323 in doubles. Along with his more established older brother, the two paired up to compete in a few doubles events from time to time. He has won a solitary Futures title in singles and five in doubles.
Djordje is the youngest Djokovic sibling. His tennis resume is the weakest of the three, failing to even crack the top 1000 of the singles rankings. He won a lone Futures title in doubles in 2013, while reaching the quarterfinals of the 2015 China Open in doubles remains his best result on the ATP tour.
#2) Naomi and Mari Osaka
Naomi Osaka burst onto the tennis scene in a spectacular manner, winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2018 US Open in a controversial final over Serena Williams. Since then, she has claimed three more Major titles and has become a tour de force on the women's circuit.
She has an older sister who used to play tennis as well. Mari Osaka made her WTA debut in 2014, competing in doubles at the Bank of the West Classic. She made her singles debut at the 2019 Miami Open. She finally called it quits in early 2021. While she didn't win any titles during her career, she reached four ITF finals.
Mari Osaka on the inspiration behind Naomi’s Met Gala look. https://t.co/JKJy5CJu8m
Following her retirement from tennis, Mari Osaka has purused a career in fashion and design, while her younger sister continues to compete on the tour. She designed the former World No. 1's Met Gala outfit last year.
#3) Leylah and Bianca Fernandez
Leylah Fernandez won hearts all over the world with her gritty performance at the 2021 US Open. An underdog in almost all of her matches, she defeated defending champion Naomi Osaka, three-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber and top 10 players Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina en route to the final.
Her career has been on the upswing ever since. She also has a younger sister, Bianca Fernandez, who competes professionally. The younger Canadian made her main draw debut at the 2022 Monterrey Open, teaming up with her sister to compete in doubles.
While Bianca Fernandez isn't a household name like her older sister, she's just 18 years of age and has plenty of time to change that.
#4) Matteo and Jacopo Berrettini
Over the last few years, Matteo Berrettini has become one of the most consistent players on the ATP tour. He reached his maiden Grand Slam final at the 2021 Wimbledon, while winning seven titles so far. His younger brother, Jacopo, however, has failed to replicate his performance.
The younger Berrettini sibling made his main draw debut at the 2021 Sardegna Open. Partnering with his brother, the duo made it to the semifinals. He has a career-high ranking of No. 388 in singles and No. 290 in doubles.
So far, he has won two titles in singles and five in doubles on the Futures circuit. At 23 years of age, he's got time on his side and hopefully a long tennis career ahead.
#5) Karolina and Kristyna Pliskova
While twin sisters Karolina and Kristyna Pliskova are identical in looks, their results in tennis have been anything but. Karolina has reached two Grand Slam finals and was ranked as high as No. 1.
Kristyna Pliskova's career has been quite decent too, though it pales in comparison with her sister. She won the singles title at the 2016 Tashkent Open, while claiming five titles in doubles, three of them with her sister. She's currently not active on the tour as she gave birth to her son a few months ago.
#6) Alexander and Mischa Zverev
Alexander Zverev has been one of the sport's most promising young talents for quite some time. He has been a steady presence in the top 10 of the rankings for close to five years now and recently reached a career-high of No. 2. He reached the final of the 2020 US Open and has won a total of 19 titles so far. His tennis achievements outshine those of his elder brother's by quite a huge margin.
Mischa Zverev is his older brother, who had a respectable career himself. After a decent start in late 2000s, he dropped down to compete at the Challenger level from 2012. He made a return to the ATP tour in 2016 and the following year reached his first and only Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open.
He won his first ATP title at the 2018 Eastbourne International. His result took quite the dip from 2019. He hasn't been that active on the tour over the last few years, but supports his younger brother and even works as a commentator occasionally.
#7) Stefanos, Petros, Pavlos and Elisavet Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas is another player leading the charge from the next gen to dismantle the monopoly of the established stars on the ATP tour. Over the past three years, he has become one of the top players on the men's circuit. With a Grand Slam final at the 2021 French Open and plenty of other accolades, he's carved a name for himself.
However, all three of his younger siblings are still trying to break through. His younger brothers Petros and Pavlos Tsitsipas have cracked the top 800 and 1800 of the rankings respectively. Stefanos Tsitsipas often plays doubles with his brother Petros.
Elisavet, their sister, turned 14 this year and has just started her tennis journey.