When senior Sebastian Dominko played his first point for Notre Dame in 2022, the program was already expecting big things. The six-foot-eight lefty from Slovenia had previously made multiple junior Grand Slam appearances and won several ITF tournaments, all prior to joining the collegiate circuit. Dominko did not disappoint. Four years later, he finishes his Notre Dame career with over 60 singles victories, three All-ACC singles and doubles selections, respectively, and three All-American distinctions. In 2026, he helped lead the Irish to their best season in nearly 20 years, including a 21-8 record and a third-place finish at the ACC Tournament.
Prior to the 2026 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships, Dominko reflected on his time at Notre Dame as well as his plans moving forward. Finishing up his last season for the Irish, Dominko said 2026 was “a special year for sure.”
"We’ve competed hard and gotten some great results. The last few years have been hard not necessarily getting all the achievements as a team, but we’ve been climbing the ladder, so so close to achieving our goals,” Dominko said. “This year, we sort of knew this [success] was coming. With our great offseason that we had, we felt like this was the year to prove ourselves. I’m happy, but not shocked at what we’ve achieved.”
Dominko said he will miss the team aspect of college athletics the most. In professional tennis, players are mostly confined to talking with their player’s box and play for themselves. College tennis brings an entirely different aspect to the sport.
“You’re playing for something so much bigger than just yourself, you know?” Dominko said. “Looking at the sidelines, you have guys cheering for you, caring for you. I think that’s the best place to play sports, and I’m for sure gonna miss it after my college career transitioning to my professional career.”
Dominko explained team culture and friendship have been critical to his success both on and off the court. Coming into his freshman season, Dominko found himself far from his home town of Maribor, Slovenia. Despite the distance, Notre Dame soon became a second home.
“Looking back to my freshman year, I changed a lot. I’m very grateful for the seniors on the team my freshman year. They were always there for me ... It helped me become the future leader of the team. I became a better player because of the teammates that I had behind me, I know I became a better person because of the friends that I met along the way,” Dominko said.
Now that the season has ended, Dominko looks to forge a new path on the pro tour, where he will surely better his current career high ATP singles ranking of 892.
“After I’m done, I’m graduating and heading back to my home club in Maribor to build a team around me. And, yeah, I’m gonna give it a shot. Singles is gonna be the priority,” Dominko said. “If I end up being top 20 in college at the end of the year, I get some wild cards for the ATP Challenger Tournaments, which could be very helpful.”
As the last hurrah in his college career, Dominko and the Irish competed in the 2026 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships. This was the first time in Dominko’s career the team made it to the tournament, which he said was a very special feeling. Notre Dame ended up falling 4-1 in a tough first round matchup against No. 24 Vanderbilt, and Dominko’s match against No. 72 Pablo Martinez Gomez went unfinished, 7-6(7), 3-6, 4-4.
Despite the disappointing loss, Dominko said he felt proud of his team and the successful season they performed on the courts.
“If you look at the whole season, at some point, every single guy stepped up, had a tough match. We can trust whoever is on the court,” Dominko said. “This year we put ourselves on the map, and I’m super proud of the team and what we have accomplished.”
