American tennis player Zachary Svajda advanced to the third round of the 2023 French Open at Roland Garros on May 30, beating Argentine 25th seed Francisco Cerundolo in a five-set match, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3 [1, 2]. Svajda, who was unseeded and is 23 years old, had never previously advanced past the second round in any Grand Slam despite consistent participation in the US Open since 2019 [1, 2].
Svajda’s win came amid an unusual men's draw shaken by the early exits of world number one Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, and the absence of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz [1, 2]. Fellow Americans Frances Tiafoe (19th seed) and Brandon Nakashima (31st seed) also remained contenders at the tournament [1, 2].
The day of Svajda’s victory held personal significance as it was his late father’s birthday. "Yeah, that would be amazing. It's like I'm dreaming right now... Today was so special too, because it's my dad's birthday. I know he's watching from above," Svajda said [1].
Svajda also gained attention off the court for a viral TikTok video posted the same day, in which he wore a beret and held an oversized croissant. "I love my TikTok. It's so much fun. I don't put any pressure on myself... When I saw I had made the third round I was like, 'I have this picture of me with my big croissant... I'm going to post it and say, I can't believe I'm in third round.' Yeah, that one is going viral," Svajda said [1].
He credited the opened-up tournament field for his deep run but emphasized focus and routine. "When I saw Sinner was out, I tried to stay present and stay positive and take it day by day, match by match... I knew the draw was open, but I just tried to keep doing my routines," Svajda stated [1].
Svajda has expressed a goal to break the long American men’s Grand Slam title drought, which dates back to Andy Roddick’s 2003 US Open victory [1, 2]. His third-round appearance at Roland Garros is a career best.
Svajda’s next match will be in the fourth round of the French Open, where he will attempt to continue his breakthrough at one of tennis’s most challenging Grand Slam events.