According to four-time Grand Slam champion Hana Mandlikova, having a famous parent and shouldering the weight of a historically successful surname will either “make or break” a sporting prodigy.

It is something she had to deal with herself during the early stages of her career being the daughter of Vilem Mandlik, a 200m semi-finalist for Czechoslovakia at the 1956 Olympic Games, and that particular baton has now been passed to her daughter, Elizabeth.

For Elizabeth Mandlik, Hana is both mother and coach, and ploughing a furrow in the same sport makes for inevitable comparisons, but the 18-year-old is comfortable enough within her own skin not be burdened by expectation.

“I find it [being the daughter of a successful former player] quite easy,” Elizabeth told itftennis.com. “I don’t look at it like that. I just look at her as my mum and my coach and listen to her. There are trophies lying around the house in Prague but that doesn’t bother me.”

Elizabeth is not alone with regards to a hefty family name. Leo Borg, the 15-year-old son of five-time Wimbledon champion Bjorn, was thrust into the spotlight earlier this month after being handed a wildcard into SW19 qualifying, while Roman Burruchaga, whose father Jorge scored the winning goal for Argentina in the 1986 football World Cup final, is also familiar face on the junior circuit.

While initially making a conscious effort to diffuse any links to her own illustrious backstory, Hana, who describes Elizabeth as a “late bloomer”, has concluded that if her daughter is to emulate her in any way, she will have to find way to handle the spotlight.

“My dad was a very famous sprinter,” Hana told itftennis.com. “He was at the Olympics in 1956 and 1960 so I grew up in Czech Republic also with that pressure.

“It can make you or it can break you. But I try to explain to my kids that it’s not my life, it’s theirs. That’s why I had a coach for them [Hana’s son Mark is also pursuing a career as a tennis player] and I wanted to stay away a little bit, but now I’m in it with them.

“Sometimes you cannot push the pressure away. It’s better to face it, to say, ‘okay, I feel the pressure, but I’m doing the best I can’. We’ve talked about it many times.”

Elizabeth has continued her transition to the professional ranks this season and triumphed at W15 Carson CA in March and W15 Barletta in May, while she also won the doubles alongside partner Marta Custic at J1 Roehampton earlier this month.

Tennis may very much be the firm focus now but that was not always the case, as Elizabeth once contemplated a departure from the family business. She said: “I wanted to be a skier. At first, I didn’t really like tennis. My mum let me go to tennis when I wanted and when I didn’t want to, I didn’t go.

“At one point, I started playing tournaments and I realised I could win – that’s when I liked it.”

That lack of push to force Elizabeth into following in her footsteps is reinforced by Hana, who insists she would readily walk away if either of her children wanted to pursue alternative paths, although she admits that the continued desire of her offspring to play the game is heartening.

“We are definitely a tennis family,” she said. “I never knew that both of my kids were going to love the sport so much – they’re hooked. I just started because I loved the sport and I wanted to introduce them to it because I played it.

“I never really put any pressure on them; if they wanted to play, they played, and if they didn’t want to play, they didn’t. That was a major part in why they love the sport so much.

“I had a coach for them but it didn’t work out. Things were going the wrong way so I had to step in. I’ve been travelling with them for about half a year now.

“I went through the feeling of being coach already as I coached Jana Novotna for nine years, so I’ve experienced that, although I’m more of a supportive mum really and I give tips.

“If they don’t want it so much and they didn’t really love it, I wouldn’t be here. I would be somewhere on the beach.”

One of the tips which Hana refers to was on show prior to Elizabeth competing in this year’s girls’ draw at Wimbledon, in which she reached the third round before falling to Japan’s Natsumi Kawaguchi.

“Being a former player allows me to share stories about competing at events,” added Hana.

“It was our first time at Wimbledon and I was telling her a story of when I first played at Wimbledon as a junior – I was so nervous.

“The grass was so green. I lost the match because I didn’t want to damage the grass. I was stepping so lightly. It’s very funny. I said to her this time, ‘don’t worry about the grass, just play’.”

Despite that early setback, Hana’s affection for the All England Club was already well established. “I fell in love with Wimbledon.

“I was still young when Jan Kodes won it, beating Alex Metreveli [in 1973], and that had a big impact on me. I just fell in love with it. Since then my dream was always Wimbledon.

“I got to the final twice but never won it. Sometimes you can’t have what you really wish for.”

Hana’s wishes now reflect a deep-rooted desire for Elizabeth and Mark to succeed and enjoy the game as much as she did. For Elizabeth, the next steps are clearly outlined. “We’re really going to start focussing on 25s,” she said. “It’s time for her to start playing women’s tennis.”

Famous surname or otherwise, that is unlikely to be the final piece of advice that Elizabeth receives from her mother.

This article is part of the ITF’s #MyCourt campaign, showcasing the inspiring and heart-warming stories that epitomise the role of tennis as a vehicle for positive change in the world.

We want tennis to be an inclusive, accessible and enjoyable sport for all – one in which everyone has their own stage on which to perform, a place they can say: This is #MyCourt.

Look out for more articles from the tennis family exploring tales from around the world of inspirational figures, challenges overcome, and the joy that tennis brings to our lives – and share your own experiences on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #MyCourt to be part of the story.