Ready To Take On The Challenge

Written by: Trey Matney and Ryan Sauline

Orange: The Experience Magazine | V17 , Issue 3

In September of 2025, Connecticut native Matisse Farzam walked off the court at the US Open Junior Tennis Championship, his third junior major of the year. Less than a month later, he would travel to Auburn, Ala., where he led the Clemson Tigers to victory in the Battle on the Plains in his first event with the team, and he has not looked back since.

Farzam has been athletically involved his whole life. He started playing soccer at just two years old and picked up a racket two years later. At ten years old, he decided it was time to take tennis more seriously. As a first-generation college student, neither of Farzam’s parents played sports past a high school level, so it took some time to get them acclimated to the sport. Regardless, he says his family has been supportive every step of the way. “They have learned about tennis over the years and gotten so into it, and they have supported me through everything, even my sister has flown down to tournaments. I would not be where I am today without them.”

As Farzam got deeper into the sport, he generated more buzz around the junior tennis world. He was faced with a decision between turning professional or going to school, but the opportunities afforded to players at the college level made it tough to pass up. “If you asked ten years ago, most people in that position would have immediately gone pro but between the resources that college has to offer, the opportunities you get, and the level of college tennis is so high that it makes it a no-brainer to come here. The experiences, the matches, the coaching staff, the support staff, it’s surreal.”

The recruiting process was fierce. The young talent was being courted from all angles, going on official visits to Princeton, Texas, Michigan, and Ohio State before eventually signing with the Buckeyes, where he would remain committed for two years before reopening his recruitment. Once decommitted, the recruiting process began again and some old faces brought him to new places. He was connected with Brandon Wagner and Austin Rapp through former Texas standout and current ATP top-100 player Eliot Spizzirri, when Farzam reopened his recruitment. That connection brought him south. “Knowing Brandon [Wagner] was two years in [to his Clemson tenure], he had a great connection with my coaches back home, as well as Austin [Rapp], they saw the vision that they could push me and help me like they did [Spizzirri].”

After a long recruiting process, he was ready to get on campus. Once he touched the red clay of the Blue Ridge foothills, he never turned back. “It is really easy to look back and think, ‘Wow, I really made the right decision.’” He appreciates the support Clemson has been able to offer and the environment the University has created to help him succeed.

As with any freshman, athlete or not, he has seen a tremendous amount of growth. Farzam is just a few months into his time at Clemson but has matured a lot along the way. Growing up, tennis had always been a hyperindividual sport. At the collegiate level, it is much more team-focused, and that was a big adjustment to make. Farzam has found himself becoming selfless, caring just as much about his teammates’ successes as he does his own. “You go out there and don’t just care for yourself. You care about the guy to your left and to your right and it becomes a brotherhood.” It extends to practices as well. The opportunity to practice day in and day out against elite competition has grown Farzam as a player.

His Clemson experience has grown him as a person as well. Being from Connecticut, Farzam is one of three American-born players on a team that rosters players from seven different countries. They may come from different backgrounds but they all wear the Paw on their chest. “It’s amazing for me, opening my eyes to other people’s experiences in life.” He detailed that everyone on the team is at a different point in their life, giving them all opportunities to learn and grow from each other. “As a younger guy on the team, the older guys give me so much feedback on things I maybe would not have recognized before. Not only in tennis, but in life, they are helping guide me through decisions, and having these guys here to push me in the right direction has been great for me.”

His growth as a player and a person in his few months at Clemson has given Farzam room to blossom into an integral part of this team. The spring season ramped up with a hidden dual match where Farzam started in the four slot. A week later came the season opener at the Duckworth Family Tennis Facility against LSU, where Farzam played in the five spot and picked up a two-set victory. His performance against LSU brought him back to the four for ITA Kickoff where senior Romain Gales went out with an injury, pushing Farzam up to the three slot. Despite the quick changes, Farzam stayed ready and embraced a next man up mentality. “I came in thinking I’m going to be playing fives and sixes and suddenly I’m up to three. As a freshman being 18 turning 19, I had to mature pretty quick and realize I’m in the same position as the man across from me and I’m looking saying, ‘Hey, I’m ready to take on the challenge.’”