Nishesh Basavareddy, a 19-year-old Indian-origin American tennis player, is set to make his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open in 2024. Having participated in the qualifying draw at the 2024 US Open, he has now secured a main draw wildcard for Melbourne. His recent performances in Challenger tournaments, including finals in Charlottesville and Knoxville and a semi-final in Champaign, helped him achieve this milestone.
Rising Through the Rankings
Currently ranked 152nd in the ATP standings, Basavareddy has shown remarkable progress this year. He climbed into the top 400 in June after reaching the Little Rock Challenger semi-finals and later clinched his first Challenger Trophy in Tiburon. Additionally, he reached the final in Bloomfield Hills and played up to the third round of qualifying at the US Open.
Practicing with the Best
Basavareddy’s journey includes a training stint in Turin, where he practiced with top players, including Carlos Alcaraz. Reflecting on his experience, he said, “It seems like a really cool showcase for the younger guys who maybe don’t get as much exposure if they aren’t playing on the main tour yet. I think it’s a really cool initiative and obviously [Carlos] Alcaraz has won the event. A lot of Top 10 guys have played it.”
Collegiate Success and Support
As a student-athlete at Stanford University, Basavareddy finished 12th in the ITA singles rankings this May and received the Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year award. His growth has been supported by The Rajeev Ram Foundation. Speaking about its impact, he said, “Any time you can get that kind of support, financially, knowing that people are backing you is huge.”
He added, “[Rajeev] has been super important for my growth because he played junior tennis, college tennis, and made that leap to pro tennis after leaving the University of Illinois. I think having all of his advice, what to expect on the pro tour, and the tennis advice has been huge for me.”
Basavareddy will also compete in the Next Gen ATP Finals, an event he views as an exciting opportunity. “It seems like a really cool showcase for the younger guys who maybe don’t get as much exposure if they aren’t playing on the main tour yet,” he said.
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