American tennis has always produced some exciting stars year after year. From the likes of Serena Williams and Venus Williams to the likes of Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton, we have seen it all. This year was no different. 19-year-old, Nishesh Basavareddy is dubbed to be the next big thing on the ATP Tour after his exploits this season. Rising up the ranks, Basavareddy received massive support from his parents. Let’s dive deep and learn more about them.

Interestingly, Basavareddy’s parents came from the Southern part of India. Hailing from the picturesque city of Nellore, his parents moved to the United States in 1999. While they first moved to Northern California, they settled in Southern California after five years when Basavareddy’s brother was born. Subsequently, Nishesh Basavareddy was born, and the family lived in Irvine for eight years.

Later, Basavareddy’s father’s work commitments resulted in the family’s shift to Indiana. His father worked at Toyota and they had relocated to Indiana. Basavareddy’s father, Muralikrishna, wanted the family to stay with him and thus, they had to relocate to Indiana. During this transition, his mother, Sai Prasanna, ensured that the move was smooth for the family. Nishesh Basavareddy took to tennis in California, taking a cue from his elder brother. Additionally, he also played some local tournaments along with other sports like soccer. However, it was not until the family’s move to Irvine that Nishesh Basavareddy played only tennis and started taking the sport more seriously.

Apart from his parents, Basavareddy also has the support from American icon, Rajeev Ram. Interestingly, he is from the same school as Ram and the two also share the same coach; that’s Bryan Smith. Moreover, Ram, in one of the interviews, also termed Basavareddy a bright prospect in American tennis.

Further, Basavareddy is also pursuing Data Science at Stanford University.  Asked about why he chose this university, the 19-year-old had an interesting response.

Nishesh Basavareddy wanted to follow the college route to excel in tennis

Over the years, we have seen many players like Ben Shelton coming to the ATP Tour via the college route. Basavareddy is no different and he also took the college route via Stanford University. This eventually proved to be fruitful as he became the Pac-12 Champion and ITA Fall National Champion. During an interview, he opened up about his college journey.

Basavareddy said, “I always wanted to take the college route. When I first started looking at colleges, I looked at a bunch of colleges around the nation and Stanford was always at the top of my list. Coming to the school, seeing what it was all about, seeing the coaches, the team, and everything, I just thought it was the perfect fit for me.”

Further, he added, “I first started talking to Stanford right before my junior year of high school and Paul did a home visit as well to me. I always thought that the Stanford team is a really tight-knit family and really care about us on and off the court. I think that’s one of the important things about them.”

Basavareddy turned pro this month and is currently seen in action at the ATP Next Gen Finals. Moreover, he has also secured a spot in the Australian Open main draw next year.