Indian-origin American tennis player Nishesh Basavareddy is just 19 years old and is yet to play a full ATP Tour season. He has suddenly gained popularity after he was drawn to play 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the opening round of the Australian Open.

Australian Open begins January 12 in Melbourne, and the draws for the men’s and women’s singles are intriguing — and have thrown up some blockbuster first-round matches. The Athletic’s tennis writers,

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic is set to face American youngster Nishesh Basavareddy in the first round of the 2025 Australian Open. The 19-year-old Basavareddy is of Indian origin, with his parents coming from Nellore in India.

Here are some of the top men at the Australian Open, which starts at Melbourne Park on Sunday morning local time (Saturday night EST), with money-line odds via BetMGM Sportsbook: Jannik Sinner Seeding: 1 Career-Best Ranking: 1 Country: Italy Age: 23 2024 Record: 73-6 2024 Titles: 8 Career Titles: 18 Grand Slam Titles: 2 — Australian Open (1: 2024),

Novak Djokovic is targeting an 11th Australian Open title and record 25th Grand Slam crown but faces an uphill battle against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Novak Djokovic now knows who he will face in his Australian Open first-round clash – and the tennis great certainly faces an intriguing test. Nishesh Basavareddy may not be a name that is yet familiar to all,