Novak Djokovic now knows who he will face in his Australian Open first-round clash – and the tennis great certainly faces an intriguing test.
Nishesh Basavareddy may not be a name that is yet familiar to all, but the 19-year-old from San Diego could well be a star of the future.
Ahead of the start of the Australian Open, here is all you need to know about the rising star looking to end Djokovic’s title quest at the first hurdle.
Junior Career
Basavareddy was a fixture at junior Slams in the early 2020s, playing the boys’ singles events at the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open in 2022, and against at his home major in 2023.
Though he did not make a significant impact in singles, he certainly did in doubles – joining forces with fellow American star Ozan Baris to lift the boys’ doubles title at the 2022 US Open.
The eighth seeds dropped just one set on their way to victory, thrashing Dylan Dietrich and Juan Carlos Prado Angelo 6-1, 6-1 in the final.
Early senior success
The past 12 months have been hugely significant for Basavareddy and he found particular success in the final few months of 2024, cracking the top 200 and top 150 of the ATP Rankings.
After three previous final defeats, the 19-year-old lifted his first Challenger title in Tiburon, defeating compatriot Eliot Spizzirri in the championship match.
That solidified Basavarredy’s place inside the world’s top 200, having sealed a rankings breakthrough with a run to the LPT Men’s Open final earlier that month.
Following his victory in Tiburon, he would reach further Challenger finals in Charlottesville and Champaign, before lifting his second title with victory over Liam Draxl in Puerto Vallarta in November.
A 6-3, 7-6(4) win in the final over Canadian Draxl propelled Basavareddy into the top 150, and sealed his place at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah.
-Basavareddy did not progress from the group but, by beating Shang Juncheng in round-robin action, he did pick up his first ATP Tour win.
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Australian Open wildcard and Auckland run
Basavareddy’s stunning rise towards the end of 2024 saw the teenager handed the USA’s reciprocal wildcard into the Australian Open men’s singles draw.
It will be the 19-year-old’s Grand Slam debut, having just missed out on the US Open main draw following a defeat in the third round of qualifying last summer.
He will approach the first Slam of 2025 in fine form after a stunning run to the last four of the Auckland Open this week.
Having come through qualifying, Basavareddy stunned second seed and defending champion Alejandro Tabilo in the second round, before defeating eighth seed Alex Michelsen from a set down to reach the last four.
A run to his first ATP-level semi-final has pushed him into the top 110 of the ATP Live Rankings, and he will crack the top 100 if he beats Gael Monfils in Friday’s semi-final.
Djokovic is certainly a strong favourite to win this contest, but he will certainly has his hands full against a confident – and fast-rising – challenger.
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