Zachary Svajda is starting to draw wider attention at the French Open after reaching the third round with a pair of notable wins. The 23-year-old American from San Diego beat Australians Alexei Popyrin and Adam Walton, and the comeback against Popyrin stood out because he dropped the first set before taking the next three.
For Svajda, this run marks the biggest Grand Slam breakthrough of his career. Before arriving at Roland Garros, his best major results were second-round appearances at the US Open in 2021 and 2025.
A breakthrough built on persistence
Svajda has long been regarded as a promising but still-emerging name on the ATP Tour. His progress in Paris shows how quickly that perception can change when a player puts together wins on the biggest stages.
The victory over Popyrin was especially significant because it showed his ability to recover under pressure. Against Walton, he followed that up with another strong performance to secure a place in the third round.
Experience against top opposition
Svajda has already spent time on court with some of the sport’s best players, even if the results have not always gone his way. At last year’s US Open, he took the opening set from Novak Djokovic in a second-round match before Djokovic closed out the next three sets.
He also posted a straight-sets win over Marin Cilic in the first round of the Indian Wells Open this year. Those results add context to his rise and show that he has already handled high-level opposition on different stages.
Ranking rise and background
Svajda reached a career-high ranking of World No. 82 in March 2026, and he is currently ranked World No. 74 in the ATP live rankings. That climb reflects a steady increase in consistency, along with stronger results at tour level and beyond.
He turned professional in 2019, and tennis has been part of his family background for years. His father, Tom, competed at the junior level in the 1980s, while Svajda has said he idolizes Roger Federer and John Isner.
Path through the next round
Svajda has also built much of his early career through success on the Challenger circuit. He has won three ITF Challenger titles and has collected notable victories there over Ben Shelton and Sebastian Korda.
He has also trained at times with Taylor Fritz, another Californian and one of the leading American players. On Saturday, Svajda is set to face the winner of the second-round match between Francisco Cerundolo and Hugo Gaston, with his French Open run now carrying the momentum of a genuine breakthrough.
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