Ryan Seggerman ’22 was a shining star on the tennis courts of Old Nassau, but he has now made an appearance on a much larger stage.
On Wednesday, Seggerman made his debut at the U.S. Open, one of four Grand Slams at tennis’s highest possible level. It’s been a winding road from Ivy League doubles to one of the largest tennis tournaments in the world, but if any Princetonian is equipped for the journey, it is Seggerman.
After growing up in Southern California and establishing himself as a skilled player, Seggerman decided to take his skill to the collegiate level — a rare decision for top players, who usually begin their professional careers without attending college. After slugging through the Challenger-level tournaments, a massive upset at the so-called “fifth slam” of Indian Wells put the tour on notice. Now, despite a first-round loss at Flushing Meadows, Seggerman has ventured into new territory for Princeton tennis and has started a new journey at the Slam level.
Professional Beginnings
Seggerman’s first full season on the professional tennis tour started off strong with two consecutive Challenger doubles titles paired with University of Utah’s Patrik Trhac at the inaugural 2024 Southern California Open series, home soil for the native of Coronado, a town just outside of San Diego. However, after suffering consecutive first-round losses, Seggerman believed their beginner’s luck had run out.
“[Trhac and I] were coming off of two really tough weeks [playing] in Spain; we were both under the weather and we were pretty disappointed with our results,” Seggerman said. “For us, losing in the first round was kind of unusual.”
Seggerman was en route to his home of Southern California, where the prized Indian Wells Masters tournament would be held that week. Indian Wells is considered one of the most important tournaments on the professional tennis tour and is colloquially dubbed the “fifth Grand Slam.” Several weeks earlier, Seggerman had sent a hopeful email to ask about receiving a wildcard into the Indian Wells Masters tournament. The response he received simply read, “Noted, thanks.”
While awaiting his flight back to the States, Seggerman received another email from the organizers of Indian Wells that would end up altering the trajectory of his professional career.
“They asked if we were still interested, and if we would be able to play doubles that week.” Seggerman quickly responded, “Yeah we can play, no problem.”
Around 20 minutes later Seggerman received a response.
“Okay, you got it. Good luck.”
At Indian Wells that week, Seggerman and Patrik Trhac went on to upset the sixth seeds in the first round 3–6, 7–5, 10–8. In their Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour debut, the team of SoCal natives had defeated the thirteenth-best doubles team in the world at the time — at the same venue where they had won their first two Challenger events just two months before. It was a huge upset and the catalyst for Seggerman’s professional success. Less than a year later, Seggerman and Trhac received a second wildcard opportunity to impress on home soil — this time, at the 2024 U.S. Open.
The Tiger Years
While most professional tennis players skip the collegiate path, playing in college was always in Seggerman’s plans.
“I had some far-out aspirations of playing professionally when I was young, but the plan was always to play for a school,” Seggerman confessed. “I wanted to be a part of college athletics.”
With rules allowing teens to jump straight to the professional level, most tennis pros forgo university for the experience, and earnings, of the professional and junior tours.
However, in recent years, ex-student athletes have made noise on the tour just like Seggerman. Just last year, Princeton’s very own Matija Pecotic ’13 defeated three top-250 opponents — including former top-10 player, Jack Sock — en route to the round of 16 at the 2023 Delray Beach Open.
Seggerman’s on-paper highlights from his time as a Tiger include two-time First Team All-Ivy League Doubles (2018–19, 2021–22), Second Team All-Ivy League Singles (2021–22), and two-time NCAA Doubles tournament qualifier (2019, 2022).
Seggerman recalled his first time playing in the NCAA tournament as one of his favorite matches.
Alongside fellow Princetonian and doubles partner Peyton Holden, Seggerman faced off agains the undefeated fourth seeds in UNC Asheville. Despite being heavy underdogs, Seggerman and Holden went on to defeat the pair 3–6, 7–6, 10–8, and clinched Princeton’s first win in that event since 2001.
Unfortunately, Seggerman and Holden went on to be taken out in the very next round by a Wichita State pair in a nail-biting tiebreaker, 6–4, 3–6, 9–11.
“He was inconsolable, because he wanted it so badly, and All-American status meant a lot to him,” Princeton head men’s tennis coach Billy Pate recalled.
To perk up Seggerman following the tough loss, the team ended the day at Panda Express — his favorite restaurant.
“My fortune cookie had been something sort of inspirational,” Seggerman recalled. It read, “Be gentle with yourself, you’re doing the best you can.”
“I was so depressed after that second-round loss, but my assistant coach told me to hold on to the fortune – so I’ve kept it in my wallet,” Seggerman continued. “That’s what I loved about Princeton — the relationships I built with my team and friends.”
Off of the court, Seggerman also served as an example for his teammates. He graduated in 2022 as an Operations Research and Financial Engineering (ORFE) major, and Seggerman’s Ivy League accomplishments in the classroom are exceptional among his peers on tour.
“Everyone at Princeton is so impressive in their own right,” Seggerman said. “[They] keep me wanting to reach for more in my own life, and career — to be part of the prestige and greatness of the people at Princeton.”
This mentality allowed Seggerman to mature and develop as a player throughout both his time at Princeton and on the ATP tour. His Indian Wells upset might’ve been the catalyst for his U.S. Open ticket, but the “reach for more” mentality has been the very thing that put him into that position in the first place.
A Full-Time Tennis Player
After Seggerman used his COVID-granted fifth year to further develop his game at UNC Chapel Hill, Trhac approached the Tiger-turned Tar Heel with the proposition to try out professional doubles that summer. To Seggerman, this was intriguing, as not only had his school just defeated Trhac’s — they had actually shared a mild rivalry as SoCal junior players in the 10s and 12s.
After just six months together at the Challenger level, the Seggerman-Trhac team had amassed a win-loss record of 41–2 and 10 titles. As a result of this incredible debut, Seggerman was launched to No. 217 in the global doubles rankings, climbing a total of 1,779 ranking spots in just half a year.
The pair’s 2024 season prolonged the magic as they received wildcards to play the Indian Wells Masters, and as they reached the top 100, wildcards to the U.S. Open.
Seggerman recalled the first-round upset they had pulled off in Indian Wells as one of the early highlights of his burgeoning professional career.
“We got to play in front of friends and family, and this is a tournament that Patrik and I had been ball boys at when we were young kids,” Seggerman said. “It was just such a surreal moment to get the win in the first round over the No. 6 team. It almost felt like a dream — even now it kind of gives me goosebumps.”
As of August 26, Seggerman clocks in at 91st in the global ATP doubles rankings. Just a year after he became a full-time professional tennis player, Seggerman entered the top one percent of tennis athletes. This rise in rankings allows Seggerman to participate in higher-level tournaments more consistently and comfortably.
“We’ll get a shot to play at the ATP level,” Seggerman said. “Looking forward to the U.S. Open, and Australian Open — we just want to be mainstays in those draws. So if we get a few cracks at Slams, I think it’s just a matter of time before we make a deep run.”
Seggerman has already gained somewhat of a reputation on tour for his playing style and look, integrating an overpowering serve — accompanied by cheeky shots like the occasional baseline dropshot and underarm serve — with his signature sleeveless tee and visor combo, which he thinks is key to his success.
“If it helps me believe I’m going to win some matches, then I’ll keep wearing,” he said.
Seggerman’s career continued on its meteoric trajectory when he received confirmation that he and Trhac would be playing in the main draw of the 2024 U.S. Open as wildcard recipients — a golden opportunity awarded only to seven total teams. This was new ground for the pair, who had been competing at the Challenger level less than a year before.
On Wednesday, August 28, they stepped out onto the courts at Flushing Meadows for the first time against the veteran pair of Yuki Bhambri and Albano Olivetti of India and France.
Trhac prepares to serve with Seggerman at the net in the shadow of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Josefina Gurevich / The Daily Princetonian
While Seggerman and Trhac were able to make some magic at Indian Wells, Bhambri and Olivetti’s experience wound up overwhelming for the young Americans as they went down 6–3, 6–4. The 32-year-old opponents had collectively racked up over $2 million in prize money throughout their careers and were familiar with the U.S. Open stage.
It was an uphill battle for Seggerman and Trhac, as the sharp volleys from Bhambri and the overbearing presence of the 6 foot 8 inch Olivetti only let Seggerman and Trhac win eight receiving points and no break points throughout the match.
Though they remained sharp on serve and kept the match within striking distance, early breaks of serve in each set and winning just 31 percent of their second serve points would be enough to seal their fates in a match where their opponents were flawless on serve. The veterans played a near-perfect match, with 32 winners to just three unforced errors, leaving Seggerman and Trhac little room to create another upset.
Seggerman rips a backhand from the baseline at Flushing Meadows.
Josefina Gurevich / The Daily Princetonian
It may not have been the result Seggerman sought on Wednesday, but this is only the beginning of his professional career. With him and Trhac sitting tied for No. 90 and still rising in the live doubles rankings, they are close to the top 60 needed to consistently compete at Majors. With more rankings points up for grabs at the larger tournaments they are now playing, their meteoric rise should continue. This was Seggerman’s first look at a Slam, but it more than likely won’t be his last.
“I think we are one of the best teams in the world when we are clicking and I can’t wait to show what we are capable of.” Seggerman concluded.
Josefina Gurevich is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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