Sebastian Gorzny is never afraid of the big stage.
In the opening round of the US Open, he saved five match points to take down No. 38 Raphael Collignon and win a marathon five-setter that took two days to complete.
College tennis fans are used to this type of relentless defiance against pressure. Four months ago, the former Texas Longhorn held off five match points against No. 8 Duncan Chan to send Texas to the national championship match with the season resting on his shoulders, match tied 3-3. He nearly did it again the next day versus No. 1 ranked Dylan Dietrich of Virginia.
Early in his career when he was still a Horned Frog, Gorzny clinched the national championship for TCU in 2024 against Texas.
Gorzny struggled in challenger events over the summer, but took advantage of his spot on the big stage and rode the vibes of the American crowd to defeat the Belgian, Collignon. His match points saved included a 16-shot rally, a 12-shot rally, an ace, a seven shot rally with a powerful forehand winner, a forced missed return and he won the match on a Collignon double fault.
After the theoretical conclusion of his college career, Gorzny seemed to wish he had one last ride.
“It’s unfortunate my college years are over,” Gorzny said. “I missed out on [Five-in-5] by one year, and I definitely came back as many times as I could. I’ll still train with the guys when I can, and start my pro career and see where it takes me.”
With the possibility of a blanket waiver for Class of 2026 seniors, we could see Gorzny in a college uniform once again.
But with at least a $190,000 check waiting to be cashed at the end of the tournament, would he decline the prize money for a chance to stay in the college ranks? Unlikely. If he wins another match, that would bump up to $290,000. The next, $480,000.
Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves though. Gorzny will take on the former champion, No. 7 seed Daniil Medvedev in the Round of 64 on Wednesday, Sept. 2, Court and time TBD.
Gorzny earned a spot in the US Open after winning the American Collegiate Player Wildcard Playoff.
