Challenger First-Time Winner Spotlight: Zachary Svajda | ATP Tour

This past week, American teenager Zachary Svajda staked his claim as the latest #NextGenATP star to watch on the ATP Challenger Tour.

The 19-year-old rallied from a set down to capture his maiden Challenger title in Tiburon, California, defeating countryman Ben Shelton in the final 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Svajda is the youngest American in the Top 300 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. The two-time USTA Boys’ 18s National Championships titlist joins fellow San Diego native Brandon Nakashima (Quimper-2, February 2021) as the only American teenage Challenger champion in the past five years.

Following his title on home soil, which propelled him to a career-high No. 255, ATPTour.com spoke with the California teen.

Zachary, congratulations on winning your first Challenger title. Can you describe your emotions?
It feels great to get my first Challenger title. The hard work has been paying off. I could’ve been out in the first or second round, I was down 1-5 in the third against Mmoh in the second round. I just came back, it definitely feels good and really special.

Sunday was your first Challenger final. Were you nervous?
Yeah, I was very nervous. I came out in the first set and Ben was playing lights out, it was really good from him. I knew I had to step it up and the nerves started to calm down.

Did the title come as a surprise to you?
It was a little surprising to myself. It didn’t really kick in until the next day, I was like, ‘Wait, I just won Tiburon, my first Challenger final!’ As the tournament went on and I got to the quarters and semis, I started to feel much more confident.

Zachary Svajda won the all-American final at the Tiburon Challenger.” />
Zachary Svajda is crowned champion at the Tiburon Challenger. Credit: Natalie Kim Photography

There are a lot of young Americans that are doing well right now on the ATP Tour and the Challenger Tour. Will you talk about how promising the future of American tennis looks?
The future is looking really good. There’s a lot of guys in the Top 100, and even outside the Top 100, on the Challenger Tour, guys like me, just building up. We kind of put each other up after a good win, we congratulate and say ‘Let’s keep it going!’ I’m close with Emilio Nava, Ben Shelton, and Brandon Holt. Every American, we put each other up, everyone is nice.

You played Ben Shelton in the 2021 USTA Boys 18s National Championship final. Is it fun to watch you and Ben’s growth and now 14 months later, competing…