Is the top-ranked man in college tennis ready to take sibling rivalry onto the ATP?

If Trevor Svajda has his way, a rivalry that began on tennis courts in San Diego, Calif. will soon be making its way to the ATP Tour.

The top-ranked man in college tennis has been tearing up the court for the Southern Methodist University Mustangs, and he may soon be primed to take the next step by following his older brother, Zachary Svajda, onto the ATP Tour.

Zachary Svajda has shaved more than 100 spots off his ATP ranking since last June, and sits on the fringes of the Top 100. Meanwhile, his 19-year-old brother, now an SMU junior, has continually improved at the top of the Mustangs' lineup in his first three seasons on campus—and hopes to finish what he started on the national stage last year.

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But Trevor Svajda's trash-talking game as it relates to his big bro, however, needs no polishing.

"People would say Zach and me are very different on court," he laughed this week on Tennis Channel 2's Second Serve before losing to former NCAA champion Ethan Quinn in a match of college tennis products. "He's not much emotion, but I show a lot more emotion on court. I think I have a much bigger game I'd say than his. He's definitely a lot more consistent that I am, but I definitely have the bigger shots I'd say."

But that doesn't mean that the younger Svajda hasn't been impressed with what his 23-year-old brother has been doing.

"He's playing some great tennis now," he assessed. "You can see it in his game. He has one of the best backhands on tour, but he's really starting to find his forehand and first serve. So I'm happy for him."

Trevor Svajda finished as runner-up to Columbia's Michael Zheng for the national title last year, and duly noted in Dallas that there are "not really that big of gaps" between players ranked outside the Top 200 and the game's elite. That was on show in his 7-6(3), 7-5 defeat to Quinn, who himself has spoken openly of the "reality check" he needed to make to find his footing in the professional game after college.

"Everyone can hit the ball as good as they can, but it really just comes down to the mental [strength]," Trevor Svajda said.