One of the top junior players in 1990, he reached the fourth round of Wimbledon and the US Open while remaining in the top 20 ITF junior world rankings. El Sawy moved to the U.S. in 1990, where he joined the Louisiana State University Tigers for three successful years. He played as the No. 1 for the Tigers from 1991- 93, leading the team to two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances. During his three years playing at the top of the competitive SEC, El Sawy achieved All-America status in singles and doubles for three consecutive years (1991-93). He finished the 1993 season by reaching the semifinals of the NCAA Championships, finishing the season with a No. 3 ranking.

During his career, El Sawy played most major events including the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Among his notable wins are four satellite doubles titles, five challenger doubles titles, five satellite singles titles, and two challenger singles titles.
After a successful college and professional career, El Sawy moved to Tampa, where he officially started his coaching career in 1998 as the director of development at Palmer Tennis Academy. He has coached several top junior and professional players including Jose De Armas, Razvan Sabau, Harsh Mankad, and Amr Goheim.

After completing his degree in marketing at USF in 2001, El Sawy started the El Sawy Tennis Center of which he is the owner and director. During that same year, El Sawy began his work as a volunteer assistant coach for the USF men�s tennis team.