Coronado High School graduate Ryan Seggerman and his doubles partner Patrik Trhac earned a wildcard entry into the U.S. Open Grand Slam Tennis Tournament, the pair’s first ever. The bid caps off an extraordinary year during which Seggerman had the greatest rise in ranking of any men’s doubles player in the world.
After a grueling 14 months of travel, Seggerman and Trhac are reaping the fruits of their labor. The pair traveled to four continents that included 13 countries and nine states in the US. Their 74-20 record catapulted the pair from rankings of 2106 for Seggerman and 1568 for Trhac to tied at 91st in the world. They recently cracked the top ten for American doubles players.
“Their consistency and yearlong commitment were rewarded by the USTA to grant them the wild card,” said Coronadan Randy Nixon, who himself played in several grand slam tournaments.
The pair’s fairy tale story is just beginning. In January, they earned a wildcard bid into the Indian Wells ATP-1000 tournament, the highest-level professional tennis tournament that is not a Grand Slam. There, the underdogs beat the tournament’s sixth seed and captured the hearts of fans. They then lost a close match to eventual tournament champions Nikola Mektić and Wesley Koolhof, 6-4, 7-6 (6).
One of those fans at Indian Wells was David Brummitt, Seggerman’s Coronado high school tennis coach. “He is perfectly suited for the world stage in doubles,” said Brummitt. “He is super smart, super quick, has super light feet and very, very capable hands. You need all of those things … to have power one moment and touch and quickness the next.” Brummitt called him, “the nicest young man you could meet.”
On either Wed., Aug. 28 or Thurs., Aug. 29, the pair will play India’s Yuki Bhambri and Frenchman Albano Olivetti, ranked 48 and 41 respectively. Seggerman and Trhac are ranked 91st.
“They have a tough first round playing experienced doubles specialists but I am sure they will be ready,” said Nixon. They avoided having to play a top-16 seed, and although they have their work cut out for them, the matchup increases the likelihood of a win and a move into Round 2.
Check here for the schedule of play. All courts will be televised on ESPN3 and ESPN+. They are guaranteed at least $25,000 for earning an entry, and will take home $40,000 to split by advancing to Round 2. Check back for updates and wish them well by following them on Instagram @ryanseggerman and @patrik.trhac.
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