My Influences: Why does del Potro have a special place in Basavareddy’s heart?
Nishesh Basavarredy finished the 2024 season on fire, winning two ATP Challenger Tour titles and reaching a further three finals since October. The American’s reward is a qualification spot at this month’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, to be held from 18-22 December.
Ahead of the 20-and-under event in Jeddah, the 19-year-old opened the lid on those who have inspired him in his journey to this landmark moment. Basavareddy shares his admiration for Carlos Alcaraz, Brandon Nakashima and Juan Martin del Potro and delves into his relationship with Rajeev Ram.
Learn more about Basavarredy in the latest feature for our Next Gen ‘My Influences’ series.
[ATP APP]Which former Next Gen champion do you most identify with?
I would say I looked up to Alcaraz in the past couple of years. He has done it at such a young age it has been incredible. It is incredible how quickly he shot up the rankings. That is something that other guys can’t do but it has been inspiring to see how quickly he has moved up and all the success he has.
Can you recall the first time watching Alcaraz?
I remember the first time watching him play was against Jannik Sinner in a Challenger. I remember a lot of people talking about it. He beat Tsitsipas at the US Open later that year and he was only 18 years old. That was a pretty crazy match from a teenager and he has now been a mainstay in the Top 3. I remember the Wimbledon final in 2023 against Djokovic. That was a crazy match and sticks out to me.
Read more from our Influences series
Do you have a good relationship with any of the other former Next Gen champions?
I know Brandon Nakashima a little bit and he worked with a coach who helped out in Stanford a bit. I was able to hit with him in Stanford a bit last year and he is a really nice, humble guy. He had an unbelievable year this year, improved a lot and finished the year in the Top 40 [in the PIF ATP Rankings], so that is really cool to see. I like his game a lot and the way he is an all-court player.
Which former Next Gen champ do you most identify with regarding your game?
Maybe Chung. I don’t move as well as him but he has a slightly better backhand than forehand. A bit of a counter-puncher and he can come into the net and he played a bit like Djokovic with his backhand, so that is something I admire.
Alex Michelsen and Learner Tien will both be in Jeddah too. How close are you to those guys?
I grew up with Learner. We played together for the first time when I was six years old, so he is a good friend. Same with Alex, I played with him since I was 10. I used to live in Southern California, so we were all there. We grew up in juniors together and were pretty close. Even Mensik and Jerry, I have known since 14 and have played juniors against them. It is cool seeing all their success and it will be fun to share a court with them on the big stage in Jeddah.
How motivating is to see the success previous players who have played Next Gen have had?
It is super motivating. It is a jump start for a lot of these guys. Seeing basically all the guys at the ATP Finals this year play at Next Gen Finals before is motivating. It shows something about the quality of the event.
Who were your other influences when growing up?
Rajeev has been a big influence. I have known him for 10 years. He has been really supportive in my jump from juniors to college to pro. He made that jump as well a while back. He gave me a lot of advice on what to expect on the Tour and how to improve my game. He has had so much success.
And then my family. My dad, my brother. They both got me into tennis. And Djokovic as he is my favourite player. Del Potro is also inspiring. I had a couple of injuries when growing up, a couple of knee surgeries, so it is inspiring to see him come back strong so many times.
What have you learned on the ATP Challenger Tour this year?
Everyone can play at this level, so it is important to be 100 per cent prepared for every match. I think mental preparation is super important because every match is going to be a fight. Playing week in, week out is also tough physically and a lot of these guys can last, so I need to improve in that area in the next year.