SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Sebastian Dominko came to college as a top recruit in the world having worked his way into the top-50 in the ITF junior rankings. He already had ATP points and was ranked #892 on the men’s tour when he arrived on The University of Notre Dame’s campus in August. Despite his high-level junior pedigree, the 6 foot 7 inch lefty from Maribor, Slovenia was not listed as one of the top-10 incoming collegiate freshman/newcomers at the beginning of the 2022-2023 season. When ITA preseason rankings came out, he was nowhere to be found. And while he was primed to make an immediate impact on the Fighting Irish tennis program, the degree of his success was to be seen. But his steady growth, development and persistence throughout his first year led him to put together the best rookie year of any freshman in the history of Notre Dame Men’s Tennis.
In the fall, Dominko would make some noise in his first-ever collegiate event, the Bobby Bayliss Invitational on his home courts. He tallied wins against Columbia, Michigan and Alabama all without dropping a set. The next week, a trip to Tulsa for the All-American Championships would be a continuation of his good early form. He won four rounds in pre-qualifying to make it into the qualifying draw of the tournament where he ultimately dropped his first contest. Dominko also played two professional events during his fall campaign and made it to the finals of his first pro doubles event. With a 7-1 record in collegiate events, Dominko appeared for the first time in the national rankings at #17 and put the country on notice.
The Slovenian began the spring dual season at the top spot in the Irish lineup for singles and doubles. Alongside senior captain Connor Fu, the duo would post a 9-1 record to start their partnership and set the tone for a great year. They finished 13-5 overall, had a season and career high ranking of #16 in the country and qualified for the NCAA Individual Doubles Championships.
In singles, Dominko played every match at the #1 position which means he saw the best player for the opposing team each time he stepped on the court. Playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference as well as a very tough non-conference schedule, Dominko faced 19 players who ended the year nationally ranked in singles. He recorded nine ranked wins on the year including wins over the year-end #4, #5 and #7 players in the country, had two ranked matches left unfinished and never lost to a player unranked at the conclusion of the season. His incredible performance in a year-long campaign earned him a bid to the NCAA Individual Singles Championships where he would defeat his first round opponent, a former 2022 All-American, before falling in the second round.
Dominko had a season-high ranking of #12 in the country, entered the NCAA tournament as a top-16 seed and concluded the season at #15 in the final rankings, the second-highest ranked freshman in the country. His status as a seed in the tournament garnered NCAA All-American honors and is the only player in program history to achieve this award as a freshman. In addition to hanging a banner in the Eck Tennis Pavilion, Dominko earned his spot in the new ATP Accelerator Program which begins its inaugural year beginning July 1. By ending the year between ranked between 11-20 in the rankings, Dominko will be awarded 6 wildcards in ATP Challenger qualifier draws through the rest of the 2023 season. This incredible opportunity will allow him to continue to gain professional experience and improve his ATP ranking while developing his overall tennis game.
Callaghan Family Head Men’s Tennis Coach Ryan Sachire had this to say about the year for his freshman;
“We couldn’t be more proud of the year that Sebi had. The consistent improvement that he made throughout the fall and spring is a testament to his work ethic and consistent approach each day. To have the best freshman season in Notre Dame men’s tennis history is quite an accomplishment, given the lineage of great players that have come through this program. The most impressive thing, however, is the amount of growth that is still out there for him to make. It will be exciting to see where his game can go throughout the rest of his Notre Dame career and beyond.”