Fresh off capturing the Tennis Warehouse Open ATP Challenger 75 title, Indian-American prospect Nishesh Basavareddy sat down with the Asian American Pacific Islander Tennis Association (AAPITA) for an in-depth conversation on his rapid ascent toward the ATP top tier. The former Stanford standout opened up about balancing elite athletics with data science, learning from mentor Rajeev Ram, handling his massive following across the Indian diaspora, and why the college pathway remains the ultimate launchpad for aspiring juniors.
AAPITA: You just won the Tennis Warehouse Open ATP Challenger 75. Looking at your stellar junior career, collegiate career, and now transitioning to the professional circuit and closing in on the top 100, what does this journey mean to you on the global stage as someone of AAPI heritage?
Nishesh Basavareddy: It means a lot. I’ve been playing tennis since I was obviously super young, but I always dreamed about professional tennis without it feeling like an absolute reality until I went to college. Once I started having better professional results during my second year of college, that was when I really thought about making the leap.
Having someone like Rajeev [Ram]—we share the same coach—as someone to look up to when I was younger was huge. It is not common, I guess, for Asians to leave school or academics to play professional sports. Now, it means a lot for me to represent Indians on a global stage. Whenever I have a big result, the support I receive is overwhelming—in fact, the support I get every single week is great. Hopefully, I can keep doing well and keep improving so that more and more people can make it to the professional ranks in the future.
AAPITA: What were you studying during your time at Stanford?
Nishesh Basavareddy: I was studying Data Science—a mix of math, computer science, and statistics.
AAPITA: Looking down the road, say 20 years from now, do you see yourself going back and completing that degree?
Nishesh Basavareddy: Yeah, I still plan on it. I have about 15 months left, which is five quarters. No matter how well I do in tennis, and while I definitely want to stay involved in tennis, I don’t see myself just sitting at home. I would like to get that degree, and we will see what I make of it.
AAPITA: While you are Asian-American, you have a massive following in India as well. Does having that cultural backing and support system add pressure, or does it give you strength on court?
Nishesh Basavareddy: It definitely does not add pressure. Maybe it would if you were representing India playing events like the Davis Cup or the Olympics, but I am not doing that. Instead, it gives me a lot of strength.
Seeing people come up to me after big results at tournaments like the French Open or Australian Open and hearing them say that I am inspiring their children gives you a lot of power and motivation. It drives me to keep doing better so that as I keep rising up, more and more people will see what is possible.
AAPITA: In Asian-American families, academics and education are heavily valued, yet you decided to turn professional. For juniors looking at the college pathway, what advice would you share based on your transition from college to the pros?
Nishesh Basavareddy: Every time a junior asks me—whether they are Asian-American or not—I tell them: go to college. Unless you are a Carlos Alcaraz or a Jannik Sinner, college is a great pathway.
Growing up, I never considered turning pro right away because academics were always huge for me. Going to Stanford helped me grow socially and mature a lot over those two years. College prepared me to make the leap, and once the strong results came in my second year, it made the decision much easier. College tennis is an incredible pathway, and you can see that with how many former collegiate players are currently thriving at the top of the game.
AAPITA: As AAPITA works to increase visibility and representation, what kind of mark or legacy do you hope to leave on the game and for your heritage?
Nishesh Basavareddy: My parents always instilled in me to stay humble and be kind to the people around me. It is something I work on every day—trying to be respectful. My goal is to not only be a great tennis player, but also a great person on and off the court. That is what I am always striving for, and hopefully, I can achieve that.