Zachary Svajda: Grief, gratitude and honoring dad’s triumphant return | ATP Tour

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Svajda: Sorrow, gratitude and commemoration of father’s triumphant return

Americans talk about losing their fathers in October 2025

February 19, 2026

Zachary Svajda returned home to California last September after spending just four days in Asia, well short of his planned three-week stay. The American played a qualifying match at the ATP 250 event in Chengdu, where he admittedly struggled to concentrate and even shed tears before the match.

Svajda’s father, Tom, was diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and is now on the other side of the world, in the final stages of his life. The 23-year-old did not hesitate after losing in the Chengdu qualifiers. Swajda booked a flight home that night.

“I had a hard time concentrating, and the doctor came back and said, ‘It could be any day,'” Svajda told ATPTour.com. “That’s when I thought, ‘I’m done, family comes first, there will always be competitions.’

“After the game, I talked to my mom – my dad couldn’t talk anymore because a lot was going on – and I said to my mom, ‘I’m going to go home and take care of you.'”

A month before his brief trip to Asia, Svajda was playing at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the world’s largest tennis venue, to face 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the second round of the U.S. Open. After the home grand slam, Swajda considered ending his season and staying 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-open-2025.jpg”>
^{_{Novak Djokovic needs four sets to defeat Zachary Svajda at the 2025 US Open. Photo credit: Angela Weiss/AFP, Getty Images}}

“I remember the last thing my dad said to me was, ‘I’m going to be fine, just go play,’ and that’s what made him happy,” Svaida said. On Thursday, he will compete with Frances Tiafoe for a spot in the quarterfinals of the Delray Beach Open.

Swajda’s earliest memories of playing tennis include Tom, the professional coach at Pacific Beach Tennis Club in San Diego. Long before Svaida began traveling the world as a professional tennis player, when Zach was two years old, he and his father were deflating balls back and forth in the living room.

Quality father-son time never stops.

“He taught me everything because I was homeschooled my whole life, so I was with him on the tennis court and at home 24/7,” Svajda said. “He really taught me commitment, making good decisions and sacrifice.”

When Tom died on October 13, Zach hadn’t touched a racket in a month. He stayed close to his family and helped his mother move to Texas, where Swaida’s two brothers lived. Swajda made her comeback at the Australian Open and qualified for the main draw. This is a meaningful first step back on tour.

Swajda then returned to Southern California to compete in the ATP Challenger Tour in San Diego, just 10 minutes from where he grew up. The familiarity is both comforting and heavy.

At first, Svaida wasn’t sure how she would feel about returning to a place with such strong ties to her father.

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

But the No. 106 player in the PIF ATP rankings turned uncertainty into an unforgettable and complete moment with friends and family in attendance. Swajda defeated former No. 15 Sebastian Korda 6-4, 7-6(5) in the final to win the title.

“I remember when I won the semifinals and made it to the finals, I said to myself in my head, ‘I wish dad was here,'” Svaida said. “I think about it too when I’m lifting a trophy or hitting an ace on match point.”

After claiming his seventh ATP Challenger title, Svajda was presented with a unique trophy that only a win in San Diego would befitting: a surfboard.

“I think it’s really cool to have a trophy like this, it’s different from all the other trophies,” Swajda said. “Definitely the biggest [trophy I have]luckily it was in San Diego, so I just put it in my trunk with the windows closed and drove it back home to Los Angeles that night. “

Swajda has undoubtedly faced tremendous grief in recent months, but he is also filled with gratitude as he reflects on the precious time he spent with his father.

“[It was] “The last few months and days I spent with my dad, even though he couldn’t get out of bed for months, were very memorable. It was really sad, but it really taught me a lot and I learned a lot from him and a lot from the experience,” Swajda said.

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