ATP Tour

Gorzny, who had '5% chance to live', now forging US Open path

There are moments in Sebastian Gorzny’s life that he remembers, and one that he doesn’t.

In 2019, when Gorzny was 15, he was in Kalamazoo, Michigan for the USTA Boys’ 16s National Championships when he suddenly became gravely ill in the night. The American suffered a seizure and was rushed to hospital, where doctors placed him in an induced coma. For four days, his family waited to find out whether he would wake up.

“The doctors aren't really sure what it was actually, but they're guessing a mosquito bite that led to some type of brain infection: Meningitis, encephalitis,” Gorzny told ATPTour.com. “So I had a seizure. My dad woke up at 2 a.m., luckily, called the ambulance, and I was taken to the hospital. I had an induced coma for four days.

“They said I had a five per cent chance of surviving. They were going to take the tubes out and either I was going to breathe or not. I made a full recovery, luckily. Thank you to the team at that hospital.”

Seven years later, the 22-year-old American is standing on the other side of that terrifying moment, a professional tennis player and a US Open main-draw winner. On Monday, in his first Grand Slam match, he saved five match points against Belgium’s Raphael Collignon to complete an extraordinary comeback and set up a second-round meeting with 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev.

The illness itself is something Gorzny cannot fully recall. To him, the four days in a coma are simply a blank space. But the impact it had on his family, and the perspective it gave him, has stayed with him.

“To me, it was just like a long sleep,” Gorzny, the World No. 731, explained. “I just fell asleep and then I woke up and I don't remember anything. But I know how traumatised my family was seeing me there, not knowing if I was going to wake up. It definitely makes you feel grateful and appreciate everyone around you, everyone that supports you. [I try] not to take any moments for granted.”

That outlook has accompanied Gorzny through the years that followed, as he continued his tennis career and steadily climbed towards the professional game. In 2022, he and Alex Michelsen won the Wimbledon boys’ doubles title. Gorzny then chose the college route, spending two seasons at TCU before transferring to the University of Texas, where he completed his final two years.

At Texas, Gorzny developed into one of the leading players in college tennis. He finished this year ranked No. 2 in the final ITA singles rankings, was named ITA National Senior Player of the Year and helped the Longhorns reach the NCAA final before graduating. He then won the USTA American Collegiate Player Wildcard Playoff in June to earn his place in the US Open main draw.

Gorzny's match against Collignon began on Sunday but was suspended because of rain with the players level at two sets apiece and Gorzny serving at 3-4 in the fifth. When they returned Monday, the Belgian, ranked almost 700 places higher than Gorzny in the PIF ATP Rankings, appeared to have the match under control before the American saved five match points in total before eventually prevailing 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(9).

After graduating and turning professional, Gorzny is taking advantage of a pathway designed to help players like him make that transition. He qualified for the PIF ATP Next Gen Accelerator, which offers additional playing opportunities to emerging talents from junior, college and traditional pathways.

Since graduating, Gorzny has used a Next Gen Accelerator spot to enter ATP Challenger events in Lincoln and Lexington, reaching the quarter-finals at the latter.

“I think how the ATP has started to help college athletes has been great,” Gorzny said. “It's great to help us out and give us a little head start because the level is there for sure in the top college players. Then being able to play Challengers straight away gives you that experience to test your level.”

The next test could hardly be bigger. Gorzny will face Medvedev in the second round on Louis Armstrong Stadium, just days after stepping onto a Grand Slam court for the first time. The American has not had much time to think about what awaits him, but he has already experienced a big stage, having practised there with World No. 9 Ben Shelton.

“I haven't thought too much about it, but I practised with Ben on [Arthur] Ashe [Stadium] a few days ago,” Gorzny said. “That was a great experience. So we'll see where they put us, but I'm sure it'll be a good experience either way.”