Player Features

Basavareddy reveals the biggest realisations of life on the ATP Tour

Nishesh Basavareddy’s life has completely changed in the past year. This time last season, the American was a sophomore on the Stanford University tennis team with a PIF ATP Ranking of No. 445.

Life was cyclical — play tennis, study, play some more tennis and then return to studying. Now Basavareddy, who turned pro just three months ago, is one of the sport’s brightest prospects and ready to compete in his first ATP Masters 1000 event at the BNP Paribas Open.

But despite the World No. 101’s rapid rise, the 19-year-old is still the same kid he was at Stanford.

“I talk to the team quite often. I have a couple other friends there as well that I still am in touch with, so I definitely have some of my best friends there,” Basavareddy told ATPTour.com. “It's pretty funny and now they're in their dual season. I'm getting all their texts from that stuff.”

But while his former teammates and friends are elsewhere in California studying and competing for their university, Basavareddy is battling the very best tennis players in the world. Last week in Acapulco, it hit him as he walked on the beach.

“I was like, ‘This is pretty cool’,” Basavareddy recalled.

The teen now has one full focus — winning tennis matches on the ATP Tour and doing everything in his power to make that happen.

“Way more free time, for sure. I guess I still haven't maybe found something else to do a lot of times, but I think for the past 15 years, I was always just studying, tennis, studying, tennis,” Basavareddy said. “So now I definitely have way more time to pick up a new hobby, or watch TV, things like that, but way different.”

 

Basavareddy is currently watching television series Burn Notice and looks forward to watching Reacher, which his physio recommended.

The California-born player who moved to Indiana at the age of eight is also a basketball fan. He loves the hometown Indiana Pacers, but his favourite player is Luka Doncic, the superstar who was recently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I think I became more of a basketball fan when I moved to Indy,” Basavareddy said. “They have a big basketball culture over there, so just in middle school, high school, I feel like that's what people do in [their] free time, shoot some shoots, in the neighbourhood and stuff like that.”

While some things have stayed the same, there has been a lot of change recently. Tennis is now Basavareddy’s career and he has been happy with how quickly he has adjusted. Outside of the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, this is only the former college tennis star’s fifth tour-level event.

“It's obviously transitioning with all the travel and going to different places. But I think you realise that everyone's pretty normal, pretty chill. It's a good group on Tour. Guy's are going to hang out, and I feel like it's way more chill than I imagined, for sure,” Basavareddy said. “I would say honestly, the camaraderie among guys [sticks out]. I would have thought it'd be maybe a little more competitive, cutthroat, things like that. But guys get along with each other. It's pretty fun out here so far in my time.” 

An experience that stands out came in Jeddah in December. The best 20-and-under players in the world enjoyed a special boat ride before the event began.

 

“That was really cool, for sure,” Basavareddy said. “I think they did a really good job at the Next Gen Finals and that boat ride was one of the better off-court moments I've had in my life.

“That's when it kind of struck me that I was doing this for a living, and that I was the guy making content, a little bit like people are watching me do things now.”

The former Stanford Cardinal, who earlier this year won a set against Novak Djokovic in the first round of the Australian Open, will try to leave his mark at Indian Wells, where he is making his professional debut against Buyunchaokete on Wednesday after playing tournaments at the venue as a junior.

What should fans who are still learning about the teen know about him?

Basavareddy cracked a smile before responding: “Just that I'm a pretty laid back guy."