Indian-origin American tennis player Nishesh Basavareddy stunned the tennis world with a four-set victory over World No. 8 Taylor Fritz in his Roland-Garros debut.
The 21-year-old wildcard defeated Fritz 7-6(5), 7-6(5), 6-7(9), 6-1 in the opening round, registering his first career win over a Top 10 player and only his second Grand Slam main draw victory.
Born in Newport Beach, California, to Sai Prasanna and Muralikrishna Basavareddy, Nishesh traces his roots to Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.
Here are 10 interesting facts about the rising star making headlines in Paris:
- Nishesh was born in the United States but comes from a Telugu family with roots in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.
- He trained under high-profile players, including former doubles World No. 1 Rajeev Ram, who continues to serve as a mentor.
- Nishesh had knee surgery in 2016 and 2018, which caused a brief halt to his progress before he recovered his fitness and skill.
- He played for Stanford University, one of the top collegiate tennis programs in the country, prior to going pro.
- Nishesh's first pro tour at the ATP Finals 2023 saw him participate as a sparring partner in the year-end championships.
- His ultimate idol is Juan Martin del Potro, who made a name for himself despite suffering from multiple ailments from the beginning of his career.
- In 2024, Nishesh won Challenger titles at Puerto Vallarta and Tiburon, and qualified for the LTP Men's Open final.
- He became the youngest American to advance to a hard-court ATP semifinal in 2025, defeating Borna Gojo and former top-10 player Lucas Pouille in qualification.
- Nishesh made his Grand Slam debut at the 2025 Australian Open, pushing Novak Djokovic in the first round.
- He entered the ATP top 100 ahead of Wimbledon in June 2025 and competed in the US Open main event later that season.
