Australian Open: Djokovic survives scare from Indian-origin fanboy Basavareddy

19-year-old Nishesh Basavareddy announced his arrival on the big stage in the first Grand Slam match of his career.

The Indian-origin American boy showed glimpses of what is to come with a warrior-like performance against his idol Novak Djokovic in the first round of the Australian Open 2025. Though Nishesh did not emerge victorious, the crowd honoured his effort with a standing ovation, celebrating his fearless, free-flowing tennis and remarkable mental resilience on Monday, January 13.

Nishesh, who notably has Djokovic’s photo as his WhatsApp display picture, seized the opportunity of a lifetime and left a lasting impression. After their gruelling 2-hour-59-minute encounter — the longest of Nishesh’s young career — Djokovic himself became a new fan of the rising star.

“He (Nishesh) was a better player for a set and a half. He deserved every bit of applause he got when he left the court,” Djokovic said, after winning the first-round match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

“To be honest, I’ve never seen him play up until 3 or 4 days ago. I didn’t know much about him. These matchups are always tricky when you play someone with nothing to lose. First match ever for him in a slam. He pleasantly surprised me with all of his shots and fighting spirit towards the end. I wish him all the best for the rest of his career,” he said.

Nishesh’s serve and defence, influenced by Djokovic’s style, held firm throughout much of the early match. Djokovic only managed to break Nishesh’s serve in the latter half of the second set, seizing a momentum shift that the seasoned Serb capitalised on fully.

A muscle sprain in Nishesh’s left leg at the close of the second set required medical attention during the break. His movement appeared limited early in the third set but he soon shook off concerns and returned to form.

Nishesh, who served and returned better than Djokovic in the first set, finished with an impressive first serve win percentage of 72. However, it was the second serve that let Nishesh down in the third and fourth sets. Nonethless, Nishesh showed he has an all-round game that can be honed to produce some magical results in the future.

Be it his game from the baseline or his ability to spring in a surprise with the backhand, Nishesh executed his wide range of shots with a lot of confidence and accuracy. A forehand pass that Nishesh timed wonderfully even drew applause from the man on the other side of the net.

Nishesh will learn a lot from his experience in Melbourne. Mentored by doubles specialist Rajeev Ram, the 19-year-old has shown the stomach for a big fight at the highest level. Nishesh has had a good start to the season, having reached the semi-final of an ATP 250 event in Auckland last week. Last year, Nishesh won two challenger titles and reached the final in four events.