The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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JANUARY 2018 ■ 55 WHEREARETHEYNOW? BY JACEY ZEMBAL J ohn Sadri is the most accomplished tennis player in NC State history, but his multiple battles against cancer and love for his family and friends have defined his life just as strongly as his big serve. The 6-2, right-handed Sadri became a tennis star in Raleigh from 1975-78 under then Wolfpack head coach J.W. Isenhour, who recruited him from Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park High. Sadri's all-around game helped him become an Intercollegiate Tennis Asso- ciation (ITA) All-American at NC State in 1977 and 1978. His 1978 NCAA title match against then Stanford freshman John McEnroe has been dubbed the greatest col- lege tennis battle ever, lasting around four hours and 15 minutes. McEnroe won by three tiebreakers — 7-6, 7-6, 5-7, 7-6 — capturing the points battle 144-143. "Usually once or twice a year people will ask about that match," Sadri said. "Old friends will say, 'I remember going down to Athens, Ga., to watch that match.' "If McEnroe hadn't of been so wonder- ful, it wouldn't have been as good. If I had won, it probably would have changed my life." Sadri said the beauty of the McEnroe match was how different the two of them were at the time. "I was conservative and kind of a red neck, and he was a brash New Yorker, who thought his stuff didn't stink," Sadri said. "We had some memorable matches. I lost to him 14 times on the tour. "I retired and said, 'Nobody beats John Sadri 15 times. And I mean nobody.'" Sadri's time at NC State still dominates the record books. He ranks first in career winning percentage in singles (.860) in spring matches, and is also first in doubles winning percentage (.849) in the spring at NCSU. He ranks tied for fifth with 86 career wins, was the ACC champion in 1977 and 1978 in singles, and won league doubles titles in 1976 and 1978. The Wolfpack won the ACC team title in 1978, going 19-2 overall and 5-1 in the league. "Winning the ACC championship over Chapel Hill is one of my favorite memo- ries," Sadri said. "We had a coach that re- ally believed in us. "He had a bunch of guys from North Carolina. We weren't really that good, but because we tried so hard and didn't like losing we ended up being pretty good." Sadri's success was due to hours and hours of playing the game he loved. His work ethic was maniacal. Sadri remembers one summer where having fun and going swimming took up most of his free time, not tennis. He re- turned to the court for a tournament, and he lost to Scott Dillon and Matt McDonald, his "two brothers" whom he played with at NC State. "I don't know why, but it made me so mad, and I didn't want that to happen ever again," he said. "We all ended up going to State on scholarship. "I wasn't that good, but I hit my serve and I ran like a cat. I spent the rest of the time trying to hide my weaknesses, which were many." Sadri's parents figured he was up to no good when he'd be gone for long stretches of time while in high school. Instead, he was working on his craft. When NC State offered him a scholar- ship, his father rewarded him with a car. Sadri would find a tennis court with a light and just play and play while at NC State. Dillon, McDonald and Andy An- drews were often on the other end of the court during those training sessions. Mc- Donald and Andrew also became ITA All- Americans. "That probably had something to do with me getting really good," Sadri said. "I run a junior developmental program in Charlotte, and what I've found is the kids have too many distractions now. We didn't have any distractions." Sadri's singular focus paid off with a 10- year professional tennis career. He never got a win over McEnroe, but he did topple stars such as Ivan Lendl, Vitas Gerulaitis, Mats Wilander and Stefan Ed- berg, and reached a world ranking of No. 13 in September 1980. "I couldn't beat John McEnroe and I couldn't beat Bjorn Borg, but I could beat just about anyone else," he noted. Sadri finished his singles career 213-189 with two career singles titles and a runner- up finish in the 1979 Australian Open. He also won three doubles titles. One other special memory came in Seoul, South Korea, at a tournament held at the tennis center that was eventually used for the 1988 Olympics. "This kid with blue jean shorts and a pony tail came up and said, 'Mr. Sadri, would you play doubles with me?' I said, 'No kid, I don't want to play doubles with you. I just want to play singles.' He goes, 'No Mr. Sadri, you'd really enjoy playing with me.' So I did. "We were playing a couple of Australian guys in the first round when he rips a shot about 200 miles per hour. I looked over to my buddies and was like, 'Who is this guy?' It turns out it was Andre Agassi." The pair ended up losing in the quarter- finals at the event. "The next year I said, 'Mr. Agassi, would you play doubles with me this year?' He said, 'Get lost Sadri,'" Sadri recalled. Sadri is back in his hometown, still giv- ing back to the game of tennis while enjoy- ing watching his family evolve around him. However, his passion and optimism re- ceived a daunting test in two bouts with throat cancer. The first battle come in 2012 when he had two surgeries and chemo and radiation treatments. Sadri had hoped he had beaten cancer, but during a regular six-month checkup in 2015 he learned it had returned. "The doctor said let me have a little look back there because something doesn't look right," Sadri said. "They did a biopsy, and it was cancerous again." The 61-year-old Sadri was cleared of the cancer in 2016. He credits tennis with his most important achievement, meeting his future wife Al- lison. He saw her at a restaurant in Boca Raton, Fla., and had the waitress give her a note inviting her to watch him play in a tournament the next day. She took him up on his offer, and they've been married for 30 years. "I have the hottest wife in the world," Sa- dri said. "She saw my match, and she wrote a note and gave it to the usher, who brought it down at the changeover. It said, 'Hey, I'm the girl you saw at the restaurant. Do you Sadri played professionally for 10 years and reached a world ranking of No. 13 in September 1980. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS John Sadri Tennis (1975-78) Age: 61. Living: Charlotte, N.C. Occupation: Tennis instructor at Russell Tennis Center in Charlotte Did You Know? Played then Stanford freshman John McEnroe for the 1978 NCAA title, which could be the greatest college tennis match ever. McEnroe narrowly won. "I couldn't beat John McEnroe and I couldn't beat Bjorn Borg, but I could beat just about anyone else." ■ Sadri on his career as a professional tennis player