Zachary Svajda: Grief, gratitude and triumph coming home in memory of his father | ATP Tour

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Svajda: Sorrow, gratitude and victory at home remembering his father

American talks about losing his father in October 2025

February 19, 2026

After spending just four days in Asia last September, far short of his planned three-week stay, Zachary Svajda returned home to California. The American played one qualifying match at the ATP 250 event in Chengdu and admittedly struggled to focus on that defeat, even breaking down in tears before the match.

Svajda’s father, Tom, was diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and was now in the last stages of life, on the other side of the world. After the 23-year-old lost in the qualifiers to Chengdu, there was no doubt. Svajda booked a flight home that night.

“It was very difficult for me to concentrate and the doctors came back saying, ‘It could be any day’,” Svajda told ATPTour.com. “At that time I said, ‘I’m done, family comes first and there will always be competitions’.

“Right after the game, I talked to my mom—my dad couldn’t talk anymore because of all the things that were going on with him—I was talking to my mom, ‘I’m coming home and I’m going to take care of you guys’.”

A month before his abbreviated trip to Asia, Svajda was competing inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, the only major tennis court in the world, against 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic in the second round of the US Open. After the domestic Slam, Svajda considered ending his season to stay at home with his family.

Novak Djokovic needs four sets to knock out Zachary Svajda at the 2025 US Open.” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2026/02/19/15/30/djokovic-svajda-us-2″>5.
^{_{Novak Djokovic needs four sets to knock out Zachary Svajda at the 2025 US Open. Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images}}

“I remember one of the last things my father said to me was like, ‘I’ll be fine, just go play’, that’s what made him happy,” said Svajda, who on Thursday faced Frances Tiafoe for a place in the quarterfinals of the Delray Beach Open.

Svajda’s earliest memories of playing tennis include Tom, who was the teaching champion at the Pacific Beach Tennis Club in San Diego. Long before Svajda began touring the world as a professional tennis player, she and her father were bouncing balloons back and forth in the living room when Zach was two years old.

Father and son time never stopped.

“He taught me everything because I had learned everything at home all my life, so I was with him 24/7 on the tennis court and at home,” said Svajda. “He really taught me to dedicate myself and make the right decisions and make sacrifices.”

When Tom passed away on October 13th, Zach didn’t touch a racquet for a month. He stayed close to his family and helped his mother move to Texas, where Svajda’s two brothers live. Svajda is back at the Australian Open, fighting to qualify for the main tournament. It was an important first step back on the Tour.

Svajda then returned to southern California and competed in the ATP Challenger event in San Diego, 10 minutes from where he grew up. The familiarity was comforting and heavy.

At first, Svajda wasn’t sure how it would feel to be back in such close proximity to his father.

“I said to my team, ‘I don’t think I want to play in San Diego because it feels weird to go back there with everything that happened with my dad,'” Svajda recalled.

But the number 106 player in the PIF ATP Rankings turned the uncertainty into a memorable moment for the full circle, with friends and family in attendance. Svajda was crowned champion, beating former No. 15 Sebastian Korda 6-4, 7-6(5) in the final.

“I remember when I won my semi-final and went to the final, I was saying to myself, ‘I wish my father was there’,” said Svajda. “I also thought about that when I was holding the cup or hitting an ace for a match point.”

After securing his seventh ATP Challenger title, Svajda got the one-of-a-kind trophy he deserved to win in San Diego: A surfboard.

“I thought it was very nice to have a trophy like that, it’s different from all the others out there,” said Svajda. “Definitely a big one [trophy I have]and thankfully it was in San Diego, so I just put it in my trunk with the windows down again, and drove it back home to LA that night.”

Svajda has undoubtedly faced a lot of grief in recent months, but the American also has a sense of gratitude when he thinks about the precious time he spent with his father.

“[It was] I really remember spending those last few months and days with my father, even though he couldn’t wake up for many months,” said Svajda: “It was very sad, but it really taught me a lot and I learned a lot from him and the experience.”

Zachary Svajda and his mother, Anita, at the San Diego Challenger trophy ceremony.” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2026/02/19/15/25/svajda-sandiegoch-2026-trophy.jpg”>
^{_{Zachary Svajda and his mother, Anita, at the San Diego Challenger award ceremony. Credit: Christopher Zuercher/San Diego Open}}