Nishesh Basavareddy will play a semi-final at the ATP 250 in Auckland this Friday against Monfils, before playing at the Australian Open, where he benefits from a wild card.
The American has not experienced the ordinary journey of a tennis player. He played very little in Future and on the junior circuit.
He was studying for a degree in data science at Stanford University.
However, when he turned 19, he had to make a choice between finishing his studies or becoming a professional tennis player.
Basavareddy chose the yellow ball and explains his choice: “I thought about it a lot, but I knew that competing in Jeddah (at the ATP Next Gen Finals) and having a wildcard for the Australian Open would make this decision very easy to make. take.
Knowing that I was close to the top 100 and that I could play in the big tournaments pushed me to turn professional, although leaving my Stanford (college tennis) team behind wasn’t easy.
I talked to my agent, the coaches at Stanford, Rajeev Ram, who helped me understand what to prepare for when you turn professional.
Getting such good results at Challenger level after the US Open made me see that I could replicate that level consistently, week after week.
-I saw that my game was constantly evolving throughout the year.
While I’m on the tour, I won’t be able to study because Stanford doesn’t allow online classes. However, once my career is over, I will definitely come back to complete my degree, I have about 15 months left.
Going pro is a big step, but knowing I still have the safety net of college.
That’s one of the reasons I went to Stanford, actually: I still have that there, whether it’s for post-career or if I want to pursue something beyond tennis.
Right now, my feeling on the circuit is one of excitement, not anxiety.”
The American will face Novak Djokovic in the first round of the Australian Open.
