Sure, players want Grand Slam titles and No.1 ranking, but when Elizabeth Mandlik walked on the Quadra Central, she wanted more: a legacy like her mother Hana Mandlíková had. The 24-year-old started strong, winning the first set 6-2, but her opponent, Laura Pigossi, took it from there, securing the match 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. The defeat didn’t matter, though. Every shot she played in that first-round match was enough to draw the attention of tennis legend Martina Navratilova.

Navratilova took to X to share her admiration for Mandlik’s performance. Posting a clip of a long rally from the match, she highlighted a moment when Mandlik executed a perfectly timed forehand drop shot against Pigossi. “Like mother like daughter :)” the 18-time Grand Slam champion wrote, drawing a direct line between the rising star and her legendary mother. 

 Ranked world No. 3 in women’s singles by the Women’s Tennis Association in the mid-1980s, Mandlíková was renowned for her fluid footwork and versatile shot-making. She’d leave the audience mesmerized with her ability to transition seamlessly from baseline exchanges to net approaches. Her one-handed backhand, a hallmark of her game, allowed her to execute a variety of shots like topspin, slice, and drop shots with the same finesse. And of course, this finesse translated into numerous titles. 

For the uninitiated, Elizabeth’s mother has been one of the most iconic yet underrated WTA players of her time. As a professional, she went on to win three slams during her career in the singles category. Her maiden victory at a major tournament came during the 1981 French Open. After that, she also won the US Open in 1985 and the Australian Open in 1987. The former world No.3 couldn’t complete a career slam. But she did make it to the Wimbledon final twice (1981 and 1986). In 1994, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. 

As Elizabeth continued to rally, her game mirrored her traits. Currently ranked 257 in the WTA singles, Elizabeth will surely have laurels and fame would follow her one day, too. But the 24-year-old has eyes set on something beyond that, too.

Elizabeth Mandlik wants to be a slam champion like her mother

Three years ago, during an interaction with Digital Journal, Mandlik revealed what keeps her going as an aspiring player. “What motivates me every day as a tennis player is the constant adrenaline in the sport and the reward you get from working hard. I’ve been a very competitive person since a very young age, and it’s only gotten stronger as times passed.”

Citing her mother as her inspiration, she added, “I definitely look up to my mom, Hana Mandlikova. She’s my biggest supporter, my biggest fan, and she had a Hall of Fame career and many accomplishments in her life, so I always want to work hard to make her proud.”

Ambition runs high. Her stated goals are clear: to compete in all the Grand Slams on her own ranking, to win a Major, and ultimately to reach No. 1 in the world. With flashes of brilliance in matches like her São Paulo opener, and recognition from legends like Martina Navratilova, Elizabeth Mandlik is beginning to carve her own path–one that honors her family’s legacy while staking her claim as a rising force in women’s tennis.