Svajda Celebrates Emotional Victory on Late Father's Birthday as Five-Set Record Shattered

In a heartfelt moment at the French Open, unseeded American Zachary Svajda dedicated his remarkable win against Francisco Cerundolo to his late father on what would have been his 61st birthday. This victory marked his first journey to the fourth round of any Grand Slam tournament. The 23-year-old Svajda, who initially led two sets to none, had to rally back after being pushed to a decisive fifth set, ultimately triumphing with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3 after just over three hours of intense play.

This match was part of a historic day in men’s singles, where nine of the third-round matches extended to five sets, breaking the previous Open era record of seven. Svajda will face the 10th seed Flavio Cobolli for a chance to advance to the quarter-finals. His fellow American, Frances Tiafoe, also made it through in five sets against Jaime Faria, while Brandon Nakashima was unable to secure a win against Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Overcome with emotion, Svajda fell to the clay after his win, looking skyward in tribute to his father, Tom, who passed away in October 2024 after battling cancer. “It’s like I’m dreaming right now. It’s crazy,” said Svajda, reflecting on the significance of the day. “I was thinking of that. I was nervous. I know he’s proud of me, and I wanted to perform well and win.”

He recounted his father’s advice, which has inspired him throughout his career, stating, “Every time I step on court, just enjoy it and believe in yourself. Knowing that I can beat anyone on any given day. I thought about that today going on court and it’s incredible.” Before this year, Svajda had achieved only two Grand Slam match victories, both at the US Open, and had just returned to competition after his father’s passing.

Now ranked 85th in the world, Svajda qualified for the French Open after a successful run in the qualifying rounds. He has since made significant progress, defeating Alexei Popyrin and Adam Walton before his victory over Cerundolo, propelling him to 59th in the live rankings. “I probably played 10 or 15 matches on clay my whole career. It’s still new to me, but it’s paying off right now,” he remarked.

As the tournament progresses, the physical and mental demands of the matches have become evident, with players like Argentina's Juan Manuel Cerundolo also engaging in marathon battles. Cerundolo's recent five-set match lasted nearly six hours, showcasing the extraordinary endurance required at this level of competition. “This is just outrageous,” noted Annabel Croft on BBC Radio, highlighting the remarkable drama unfolding at this year’s event.