The interview of Sebastian Korda was going fine, until it wasn’t. A word got twisted, a deadpan response landed, and within hours, it went viral. The moment made World No. 2 Nelly Korda die of laughter, and rightfully so.

Congratulating Sebastian for his victory over Flavio Cobolli, emcee Michelle Yu said, “You’ve played Flavio three times, and you’ve had sex… success with him all three times.”

Nelly was watching her brother’s interview on TV and recorded it. The moment the slip-up happened, Korda giggled. Then her brother’s cheeky response made her laugh out loud.

The reporter tried to continue the interview by asking what the secret was behind Sebastian’s success against his Italian opponent. “Well, he’s a good-looking guy,” the 25-year-old said, without missing a beat. Nelly broke out in laughter hearing that joke.

She posted the clip on her Instagram Story, with her laughter audible in the background. The skull, laughing, and crying emojis with the “Dead” caption capture her emotions well. The viral moment came as Sebastian was celebrating a dominant performance. In a 76-minute masterclass to reach his 10th ATP Tour final, he fired twelve aces and didn’t face a single break point.

When Sebastian made the ATP final in 2025, Nelly Korda did not post a formal tribute. Instead, she pointed out the poor picture quality in his celebration post. This is actually typical for the sibling duo. They support each other, but in their own fashion.

Sebastian drove an hour and forty minutes to catch the final three holes of Nelly’s win at the Annika Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican in November 2024, the first time he had ever watched her win live. Standing near the 18th green afterward, he said Nelly had gone through a lot of things and always comes back fighting, and that her work ethic was among the qualities he admired most.

He caddied for her at the 2021 PNC Championship. She texts him through matches in Australia and in Asia, through time zones that make watching inconvenient.

Nelly Korda has been clear about her view of Sebastian’s talent. She has called him the most gifted athlete in the family and pointed to his hand-eye coordination. For a player with sixteen LPGA titles, that is a significant statement.

The superstitions add another dimension to their relationship. Nelly has said she avoids watching Sebastian’s matches live when he is ahead, believing her presence, even virtually, could jinx him. She keeps the remote on her right side and looks away during key points.

Nevertheless, the Kordas have shown they take their sport seriously, and their results continue to prove it.

Nelly Korda, Jessica, and the Korda sibling group that never watches quietly

Jessica Korda describes herself as the regulator among the three siblings, not the leader. When she watches Nelly compete on the LPGA Tour, she stays composed, since golf is familiar territory. Watching Sebastian play tennis is a different story.

“When my brother plays and I’m sitting watching TV, my husband’s like, I need to leave,” Jessica said on the LPGA Podcast.

She explained: “It’s bad. I’m like, sitting up, fist-pumping, and I’m like, screaming at the TV. I get so, like, hyped about it. It’s so funny, but I think it’s just because it’s, like, so unpredictable with tennis.”

So, while Nelly was posting clips from Delray Beach, Jessica was likely reacting in her own way. The siblings have always marked each other’s milestones like this, each in their own style.

When Sebastian won the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington in 2024, both sisters posted clips of the final and trophy ceremony at the same time. Their reactions were uncoordinated but simultaneous, each from their own sporting world.

Sebastian, for his part, has never been vague about what that means to him.

“Both my sisters are my biggest inspirations,” he told Town & Country ahead of the 2024 US Open. “Just what they’ve achieved in their careers and how hard they work. We’re always in contact if I’m going through something. They can always help me out. I also just really love watching them play and compete. It gives me a lot of inspiration to keep going and keep working hard.”

Sebastian will play the Delray Beach final on Sunday. A win would give him his third ATP title. Jessica, the regulator, will be watching, and Nelly may join if her superstitions allow.