Breaking through: Get to know Nishesh Basavareddy, one of the rising stars of men’s tennis in 2025
An in-depth look at one of the hottest young players on the ATP Tour who showed up at the Australian Open. No 3: Nishesh Basavareddy
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Nishesh Basavareddy opened his season by reaching the semi-finals of the ASB Classic before taking a set off Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open to announce himself as a rising talent to watch closely.
Over the last six months, tennis fans have been given a glimpse of what the men’s game might look like in another 10 to 15 years, as a crop of future stars have surfaced to pique the imagination of fans everywhere. Yes, we know Jannik Sinner is just 23, and Carlos Alcaraz is still 21, but what about the fresh-faced youngsters who are already starting to surface as potential rivals to them?
Over the next few weeks, Tennis Majors will be shining a light on the new wave of young talent that started to show sings of a rise to prominence at this year’s Australian Open.
Today we will look at Nishesh Basavareedy, a 19-year-old American who gave Djokovic fits in the second round at this year’s Australian Open.
Who is Nishesh Basavareddy?
Nishesh Basavereddy is a Southern California native who attended college at the University of Stanford and played NCAA tennis there for two years, before turning pro in December of 2024.
Basavareddy moved to Indiana when he was eight years old, and conducted his junior career from there, where he was coached by Bryan Smith. Carmel, Indiana is also the home of former ATP doubles No 1 Rajeev Ram, and the pair have had a strong friendship for many years.
In 2024 Basavareddy began to make a name for himself and he jumped nearly 300 spots in the ATP ranking after having significant success on the Challenger tour. As a result he qualified for the prestigious Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.
What Defines Basavareddy’s Game?
Basavareddy has been compared to Novak Djokovic in style. He has a well-rounded game that features a healthy mix of attack and defence. He can take the ball early, strike it up the line off of both wings, and he is an exceptional mover and defender. He’s positionally adept and always is ready to step into the court to take control of rallies when the opportunity presents himself.
He modeled his serve and backhand after Djokovic’s and some of the techniques he uses look quite similar to the Grand Slam King’s.
“I have always just loved his game, his technique, his mental strength and his attitude,” Basavareddy told the ITF in 2022. “Everything is so sound and he has obviously won a lot. I like to watch a bunch of players, but he has probably been my favourite. All the top guys work so hard to get where they are and they are an inspiration. But, for me, Djokovic has been my favourite player for many years.”
What are basavareddy’s best achievements to date?
Basavareddy won two Challenger titles in the fall of 2024 and reached four additional finals at that level last season. He compiled a 41-13 match record, becoming just the third American in Challenger history (since 1978) to earn more than 40 wins at that level in a single season, per the ATP.
In January, he kicked off his 2024 campaign with a milestone in Auckland, by becoming the youngest American to reach a tour-level semi-final on hard courts since an 18-year-old Reilly Opelka in 2016.
He lost to 24-time major champion at the Australian Open, taking the Serbian legend to four sets on his Grand Slam main draw debut.
What are others saying about basavareddy?
Novak Djokovic came away impressed after facing Basavareddy in Melbourne.
“He was the better player for a set and a half and he deserves every bit of applause that he got,” Djokovic said. “To be really honest with you I’ve never really seen him play until three or four days ago.
“He’s a very complete player and he pleasantly surprised me with all of his shots and his fighting spirit towards the end.”
After the match, Djokovic told reporters: “He’s very talented player. He’s got great hands. He’s very dynamic. He can serve well, hit spots. Just very complete game overall.”
Rajeev Ram, who knows Basavareddy extremely well and has seen him evolve from his formative years, said this about the rising 19-year-old: “He is a very calculated, diligent individual. I think one of the best things about him is that he doesn’t take decisions lightly. He gathers as much information as he can and tries to make as educated of a decision as he can possibly make,” Ram said.
“And honestly he plays tennis a bit like that too. He’s just got such a great mind for the game that he’s able to dissect opponents and matches better than most. I think along with being a very polite and nice individual, I think just his ability to process information is for me what sticks out and he’s had that since I can remember.”
How far can he go?
Basavareddy needs to get into the top 10 first and get more experience against top players. Early results show promise, and his game is certainly impressive. He may not have eye-catching weapons, and that does matter, but he’s blessed with a complete toolbox and a very high tennis IQ. It looks and feels like he can be a future top 50 or top 20 player, but we’ll need to see him over an extended period of time to determine if he can be a factor in the business ends of slams or a top 10 talent.
watch him at indian wells
Basavareddy will next compete at this week’s prestigious Indian Wells tournament. He will take on Chinese talent Yunchaoteke Bu in the first round.
