Novak Djokovic vs Nishesh Basavareddy LIVE Australian Open 2025: 19-year-old Indian-origin ace seals 1st set

The American youngster shocked Djokovic in the first set, clinching it 6-4 in their first round showdown, at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Monday. The Serbian ace looked out-of-sorts in the first set, and the American capitalised on it. But Djokovic has found his footing in the second set against America’s rising tennis sensation.

Basavareddy got a wildcard entry in Melbourne, and a victory will be massive for the youngster. Djokovic is aiming to make a comeback, as he chases a record-extending 11th title in Melbourne, a record-breaking 25th career Major overall.

Basavareddy’s parents are from Andhra Pradesh to San Francisco in 1999. He was born in California, and he was trained at Bryan Smith’s coaching camp, and Rajeev Ram is his mentor. At the junior level, he has a career-high ranking of no. 3. Basavareddy hasn’t played a full ATP Tour season yet, and turned pro last year after qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals. He reached his first-ever competitive final at the Fairfield Challenger in 2023, and also lost in the finals in 2024 at the Challenger events in Fairfield and Charleston.

He won his maiden Challenger-level title in California in October, and also was runner-up at two more Challenger events. He then got his second trophy in Puerto Vallarta. Recently, he lost to Gael Monfils at the semi-finals of ASB Classic.

Speaking ahead of the match, Djokovic had said, “Well, to be honest, I don’t know much about him. I watched him play yesterday actually for the first time. I think he’s playing the semifinals of New Zealand tournament now. I saw that he’s very quick. He’s a very talented player. He’s got great hands. He’s very dynamic. He can serve well, hit spots. Just very complete game overall.”