Minutes after sealing his place in the main draw of the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open at Brussels Expo with straight-sets qualifying wins over Edas Butvilas (LTU, 199) 6-2, 6-1 and Aziz Dougaz (TUN, 430) 6-4, 7-5, 21-year-old Nishesh Basavareddy (USA, 139) caught up with Indian Tennis Daily correspondent Praharsh Pai Raikar. Ahead of his Round 1 meeting against home favorite Raphael Collignon (BEL, 50), Basavareddy opened up on Brussels’ brisk indoor hard courts, his Orlando training setup with coach Dean Goldfine, how he uses match analytics, and a rapid-fire round covering everything from Chana Masala to Claude AI and Belgian chocolate.
Mixed-zone Q&A with Praharsh Pai Raikar in Brussels
Congratulations, Nishesh! What are your thoughts on qualifying into the main draw here in Brussels?
It feels great. I like playing indoors, so I am happy to get 2 wins under my belt, play some higher-ranked opponents now in the main draw, and hopefully keep improving my level.
How do you find the playing conditions here at Brussels Expo?
It is actually playing quite a bit faster than the indoor conditions we normally play in across Europe — on hard courts, so I really like it. If you serve well, it definitely benefits you here, and overall I would say it is playing quite fast.
Many American players in your ranking range are competing on the American Challenger circuit right now. What made you come over to Europe instead?
Obviously there are some bigger tournaments here, and I wanted to play 1 of the 250s this week as well. I felt there were more opportunities over here with the next couple of weeks featuring Challenger 100s and Challenger 125s, and I thought it would be better to test my level against these players.
What is your current training base, and who is part of your support staff right now?
I am training in Orlando, Florida mostly, and I will be doing my preseason there. On my coaching and support team, my coach is Dean Goldfine — he is here with me this week — and Bryan Smith is helping me from home as well. I also started working with a group of Italian physios last month who are traveling with me now, plus all the support staff at the USTA.
Taking a step back — given your Stanford data science background, have you had a chance to run any interesting analysis on your own tennis data or other players’ data?
I haven’t done any where I have written the code myself, because I work with a stats company — and I really love looking through all the numbers. Some players maybe find it to be too much information, but before every match I play, I study my opponent’s tendencies and analyze my own data as well. Not much coding on my own lately though — I have lost the skills! [laughs]
Could you share your schedule for the final weeks of the season and what your offseason training plans look like?
I am signed up for tournaments all the way through the week of November 16, finishing in Helsinki, playing a few European Challengers over the next couple of weeks. We will see how I feel and maybe take 1 week off in the middle. After that, I will be in Orlando throughout December for my offseason block before starting the 2027 season.
“Some players maybe find it to be too much information, but before every match I play, I study my opponent’s tendencies and analyze my own data as well. Not much coding on my own lately though — I have lost the skills!”
— Nishesh Basavareddy (USA, 139) speaking to Praharsh Pai Raikar in BrusselsHome comforts in Carmel, AI apps, tour hobbies & Belgian treats
Your go-to Indian dish when you visit home in Carmel?
Chana Masala.
If you weren’t playing pro tennis, what kind of startup or company would interest you with your Stanford data science background?
Anything sports-related. There is a lot of exciting innovation happening right now, so anywhere I can combine sports with data science.
Which AI app do you use the most?
Claude.
What is your favorite hobby on tour?
I definitely have to start picking up 1, because right now I would say just doomscrolling and watching shows on Netflix! [laughs]
Your favorite Belgian specialty food or drink?
Chocolate.
| Round | Match | Court | Scheduled Start Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| R32 | [Q] Nishesh Basavareddy USA · 139 vs. Raphael Collignon BEL · 50 | Center Court | Tuesday, Oct 20 · Schedule TBA |