Nelly Korda on the Reality of Being World No. 1: "There Is No Advantage"

Ahead of the Amundi Evian Championship, Korda gets real about the expectations surrounding her (and she's not wrong).

Being World No. 1 comes with plenty of expectations, especially at a major championship. As Nelly Korda arrived at the Amundi Evian Championship, the spotlight is once again fixed squarely on the game's biggest star and whether another major title is within reach. (After all, she has a shot at achieving the Career Grand Slam.)

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But while the outside chatter attempts to measure her legacy in wins and rankings, Korda insists the top spot doesn't actually give her an edge—it simply means she's earned the right to be the player everyone is chasing."I think it's amazing that it's [grand slam] even getting talked about. It's an accomplishment in itself that it's even being talked about, so I'm very proud of that," she explained during her pre-tournament presser in Evian-les-Bains, France.

"My mindset every week, it's just like 'see how it goes'. Like there is no really advantage to being World No. 1 when it comes to golf. I don't get a better draw. I don't have a bye. It's just that you're playing good golf, the best golf right now. That's all that it is. With golf there is so many variabilities. I think that's what makes it a unique sport and why I personally -- yes, ranking is amazing, but I don't concentrate on it too much because there is no added plus to it in a way like maybe in tennis or other sports."

And she's absolutely right.

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Being the top-ranked player in golf has long been something I've seen as a bit of a double-edged sword. Sure, there's perks like the visibility and schedule flexibility, but when it comes to actual competitive advantage, golf is one of those rarities in sports that levels the playing field for all. The one who hoists the trophy on Sunday did so by simply being the best.

Korda continued to say, "at the end of the day it is the luck of the draw. You just have to go out and everyone starts at zero every single week."

RELATED: Five Players to Watch at the 2026 Amundi Evian Championship and Why

Historically, the 27-year-old hasn't had the best track record at the Evian Championship, with her best finish dating back to 2022 where she ended up T-8. Evian has become known for its tight fairways and ability to turn good shots into bad breaks—something that Korda alluded to in her presser—and how what she's learned is that this course requires plenty of patience.

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But during the off season the resort made some changes to the championship golf course, adding two new bunkers to the closing par-5 18th, as well as changes to the greens on the first and third holes. Read about those changes here.

Her charge to her third major title this season, begins Thursday at 7:36 a.m local time alongside KPMG champion Haeran Ryu and Lottie Woad.

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