Zachary Svajda is playing the best tennis of his life at Roland Garros, and he is doing so in honour of his late father, Tom, who passed away last October.
The 23-year-old on Saturday advanced to the fourth round of a major for the first time, surviving 25th seed Francisco Cerundolo in an emotional five-set win. His victory carried extra significance, coming on what would have been his father's 61st birthday.
“I was thinking about that,” said Svajda, who next faces 10th seed Flavio Cobolli. “I was nervous. I know he's proud of me and I want to perform well and win. When I got that match, the last point, I just teared up, fell to the ground like, ‘Oh my gosh, what is happening?’”
Flashback to last September and Svajda was competing in Asia while enduring one of the most difficult stretches of his career. After spending just four days in China, far short of his planned three-week stay, Svajda returned home to California. The American played one match and admittedly struggled to focus in that defeat, even breaking down in tears before the match.
Svajda’s father had been diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and was in the final stages of life, on the other side of the world. After Svajda lost, there was no hesitation. He booked a flight home that night.
“It was just so hard for me to focus and also the doctors came back saying, ‘It could be any day’,” Svajda told ATPTour.com in February. “That’s when I was like, ‘I’m done, family comes first and there will always be tournaments’.
“Right after the match, I spoke to my mom — my dad couldn’t speak anymore because of all the things that were going on with him — I was talking to my mom, ‘I’m coming home and taking care of you guys’.”
A month before his abbreviated trip to Asia, Svajda was competing inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis-only venue in the world, facing 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic in the second round of the US Open. That was Svajda’s deepest run at a Slam until this week in Paris, where he has climbed 26 places to No. 59 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, setting him up for a new career high.
In the aftermath of last year’s US Open, Svajda considered shutting down his season to remain at home with his family.
Novak Djokovic needs four sets to oust Zachary Svajda at the 2025 US Open. Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
“I remember one of the last things my dad said to me was like, ‘I’ll be okay, just go play’, that’s what made him happy,” said Svajda.
Svajda’s earliest memories of playing tennis include Tom, who was a teaching pro at Pacific Beach Tennis Club in San Diego. Long before Svajda began travelling the world as a professional tennis player, he and his father would volley a balloon back and forth in the living room when Zach was two years old.
The quality father-son time never stopped.
“He taught me everything because I was homeschooled my whole life, so I was with him 24/7 on the tennis court and at home,” said Svajda. “He really taught me commitment and making the right decisions and also sacrifices.”
When Tom passed on 13 October, Zach did not touch a racquet for a month. He stayed close to his family and helped his mom relocate to Texas, where Svajda’s two brothers live. Svajda made his comeback at the Australian Open, battling through qualifying to earn his place in the main draw. It was a meaningful first step back onto the Tour.
Svajda then returned to southern California and competed at the ATP Challenger event in San Diego, staged 10 minutes from where he grew up. The familiarity was both comforting and heavy.
At first, Svajda was unsure how it would feel to step back into a place so closely tied to his father.
“I said to my team, ‘I don’t think I want to play San Diego because it just feels weird going back there with everything that happened with my dad’,” recalled Svajda.
Svajda turned uncertainty into a memorable full-circle moment, with friends and family in attendance. He was crowned champion, defeating former No. 15 Sebastian Korda 6-4, 7-6(5) in the final.
“I remember when I won my semi-final match and moved on to the final, I was talking to myself in my head, ‘I wish dad was here’,” Svajda said. “I also thought about that while holding up the trophy or hitting an ace on match point.”
Svajda, a seven-time ATP Challenger champion, received a one-of-a-kind trophy that was only fitting for winning in San Diego: A surfboard.
Svajda and his mother, Anita, at the San Diego Challenger trophy ceremony. Credit: Christopher Zuercher/San Diego Open
“I thought it was so cool to have a trophy like that, it’s different from all the other ones out there,” Svajda said. “Definitely the biggest [trophy I have], and thankfully it was in San Diego, so I just put it in my trunk and with the windows down as well, drove it back home to L.A. that night.”
Svajda has undoubtedly faced immense grief in recent months, but the American also has a sense of gratitude when he reflects on the treasured time spent with his father.
“[It was] very memorable spending those last few months and days with my dad, even though he couldn’t get out of bed for many months,” Svajda said. “It was so sad, but it really taught me a lot and I’ve learned a lot from him and also the experience.”
Editor’s Note: This story was first published on 19 February. It has been updated after Svajda advanced to the Roland Garros fourth round.
© Copyright 1994 - 2026 ATP Tour, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way or by any means (including photocopying, recording or storing it in any medium by electronic means), without the written permission of ATP Tour, Inc.. Terms & Conditions | Privacy | Community Social Media Policy | Modern Slavery Statement | Feedback | Cookies | Your Privacy Choices 
