First All-American in 21 years shares journey

By Trevor Svajda

I don’t remember the first time I picked up a tennis racquet, but I’ve seen enough old family videos to know it happened early.

I was two, trying to copy my older brother in our backyard in San Diego. He was five or six, already bouncing between baseball and tennis, and I was right behind him. By the time he chose tennis for good, everything fell into place.

My parents figured it’d be easier if we played the same sport, and I didn’t mind. I loved it. Those days of hitting with my dad and brother, day after day, are where everything started.

My dad taught me everything. 

Looking back, it means even more knowing he got to see my potential before he passed. His voice is still in my head when I’m competing.

It always will be.

As I got older, other coaches came into the picture. The most important was Matt Hanlin — now my godfather. He started coaching my brother when my brother was two, so he’d been around forever, but he became my coach when I was probably 10 or 11.

Now he drives down to SMU all the time. If we’re not working on court, we’re playing golf. He’s family. He’s the person who’s helped guide me into the player I’m trying to become.

Even with all that support, I drifted for a while.

Between the ages of 12 and 16, Fortnite took over my life. I was gaming more than I was training and it showed.

My tennis game stalled. The edge I’d built as a kid slipped. I knew it, and the people around me definitely knew it.

Then, at 16, something finally clicked. I quit cold turkey.

No more late-night squads, no more hiding behind a headset, and I decided to actually commit to tennis. 

It was like flipping a switch. I started training harder, getting fitter and winning again.

Tournaments, finals, big wins. They started stacking up.

It taught me one of the biggest lessons of my life: the game rewards what you put into it. And if you give it everything, it gives something back.

When college recruiting started, I knew I wanted to be near Matt. He was in Dallas, and SMU was right there.

The location mattered, but so did the energy of the program. Coach Grant Chen recruited me with an intensity and care that stood out immediately. His commitment to the team felt real.

The plan (at first) was to spend one semester at SMU and then turn pro. That was the timeline in my head.

But once I got there — once I felt the environment, the improvement, the support — I realized I wasn’t ready to leave. I needed more time. More growth. More reps.

Staying turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.

Last month, I reached the finals of the NCAA Singles Championship and became an All-American. I was the first Mustang to make the quarterfinals since 1999 and the first All-American in 21 years.

Those moments were special beyond the results. To me, it was about the journey that led there and the hours of rebuilding that came along with the frustration from setbacks in earlier tournaments. None of it happened in a vacuum. 

My teammates, coaches, and the SMU community lifted me up every step of the way. It felt like I was playing for all of us.tion mattered, but so did the energy of the program. 

Balancing college tennis with professional aspirations is its own challenge. College is intense, competitive and full of opportunities to improve with a team behind you.

Pro tennis is different. It’s more individual, more mental, more demanding in ways you can’t always prepare for.

I’ve learned to appreciate both.

College sharpens you, while the pro tour tests you. Finding my place between them is ongoing, but it’s made me grow faster than I expected.

As I look ahead, I’m focused on becoming the best version of myself as a player and a person. Tennis has given me a framework for discipline, resilience and growth. I’m always trying to refine my game (I’ve been putting a lot of work into my serve recently), find weaknesses, address them and come back better.

And I know I’m not doing it alone. With my family, Matt, my coaches, and the SMU community behind me, the possibilities feel wide open.

Whatever comes next, I’m ready to chase it.