From juniors to Jeddah: Friends Michelsen, Tien, Basavareddy take centre stage in Saudi
American tennis is experiencing a renaissance, with the current generation of talent making waves on the global stage. Taylor Fritz capped off a stellar year by finishing No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings, highlighted by a career-best run to the US Open final. Meanwhile, Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, and Sebastian Korda all finished the season in the Top 25, solidifying the U.S.’s presence at the top of the men’s game.
This week, the spotlight shifts to the next wave of American men as three rising stars — Alex Michelsen, Learner Tien, and Nishesh Basavareddy — take centre stage at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Jeddah. For the first time in tournament history, three American players are set to compete together at this prestigious event.
While this marks the trio’s first appearance together at a tour-level event, they are far from strangers. All three players grew up in California, where their paths crossed frequently in junior competitions. Over the years, they developed fierce rivalries, but also built strong friendships that have stood the test of time.
“I remember playing Nishesh when I was 10, and he lived just 20 minutes from me,” Michelsen recalled with a smile to ATPTour.com. “We would play a lot, and it was always tight—either I’d win or he’d beat me in a match tie-break. With Learner, it was a different story. He was always a step ahead, even when he was younger. When he showed up at tournaments, we all knew he was the one to beat.”
Basavareddy has similar memories of his early encounters with Tien.
“The first time I met Learner was when I was six. We played at the Little Mo Regionals in San Diego, and I remember those matches being real battles. I also played Alex when I was seven and he was already a year older than me. We crossed paths at junior tournaments all the time, and over the years, we’ve not only competed but become close friends.”
<img alt=”Nishesh Basavareddy” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/17/12/49/basavareddy-jeddah-2024-preview.jpg” style=”width: 100%;” />
Nishesh Basavareddy in Jeddah. Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Fast forward to today and these three are on the fast track to the top. In the past 18 months, Michelsen has rocketed from outside the Top 700 in the PIF ATP Rankings to a career-high No. 41, with notable final appearances in Newport and Winston-Salem. Tien, only 19, has been a juggernaut on the ATP Challenger Tour, securing three titles in 2024 — the most by any player in the Jeddah field. Meanwhile, Basavareddy has finished the season in red-hot form, capturing two Challenger crowns since October to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.
Their journey to Jeddah has been underpinned by hard work. After a few years apart, Michelsen and Tien started training together in 2021, working under the guidance of coach Jay Leavitt. Tien has relished the opportunity to work with Michelsen and they recently undertook a productive, fun-filled pre-season before embarking on Jeddah.
“We’ve known each other for years, and training together since 2021 has been great,” Tien said. “We push each other on the court and then wind down playing video games in the evening. It’s been a fun balance — Alex is super competitive, so even in video games, it’s a battle.”
<img alt=”Learner Tien and Alex Michelsen in Jeddah.” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/12/17/16/27/tien-michelsen-jeddah-2024-media.jpg” style=”width: 100%;” />
Learner Tien and Alex Michelsen in Jeddah. Photo Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Basavareddy, who turned professional earlier this month after two years at Stanford University, credits his college experience for much of his growth.
“College tennis was crucial for me,” Basavareddy said. “I was only 17 when I graduated high school, so turning pro early didn’t feel right. At Stanford, I had the chance to continue developing physically and compete at a high level, which helped me a lot.”
Off the court, the trio share a competitive streak — whether it’s playing ping pong or video games. Basavareddy is considered the table tennis champion, while Michelsen is the undisputed ‘most competitive’. But it’s their on-court success that’s truly inspiring. Their achievements have pushed each other to new heights, and Basavareddy admits seeing his friends’ breakthroughs has been a huge motivation.
“I’ve played Alex a couple of times in Challengers and watching his success this year has really inspired me,” Basavareddy says. “Seeing him make that jump has shown me it’s possible. And Learner’s dominance this summer and fall in the Challengers has made me want to replicate that. Then, of course, seeing the top American guys like Fritz making the US Open final — it’s really cool. It makes us all want to do the same.”
[ATP APP]Michelsen, who was the only American in last year’s Jeddah field, is thrilled to be joined by his fellow countrymen at the event. The 20-year-old has a sense of pride when discussing the rise of American tennis.
“It’s the first time three Americans are competing in the Next Gen ATP Finals, and it feels awesome,” Michelsen said. “Last year, I was the only one here, so it’s nice to have company this time. It’s exciting to see these guys playing so well, and when you see Fritz making a Slam final — when’s the last time an American made it that far in New York? It’s been 20 years, right? It’s really cool to see where American tennis is headed.”
This week in Jeddah, however, the camaraderie will take a slight back seat as Michelsen, Tien, and Basavareddy face off. The trio had some fun during Media Day interviews, where they light-heartedly assessed each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Michelsen jokingly claimed he’d love Tien’s lob and Basavareddy’s backhand angle but quickly rejected both of their serves. Tien, in turn, admired Basavareddy and Michelsen’s backhands but wasn’t fond of Michelsen’s slice. Basavareddy favoured his backhand while also eyeing Tien’s forehand and Michelsen’s serve.
With the fighting talk done, watch the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF from Wednesday to see who comes out on top.
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