Junior Player Spotlight:  Nishesh Basavareddy 

Nishesh Basavareddy of Central Indiana has been playing tennis for as long as he has been able to hold a racquet. When his father moved to the United States from India, he played recreational tennis and soon realized it would be the perfect sport for Basavareddy and his brother. Before Basavareddy and his family moved to Indiana, they called California home. It was here that Basavareddy made the decision to focus solely on tennis.

"We [Basavareddy and his brother] just liked tennis more because it is more individual and competitive, so we started playing it," said Basavareddy.

Through the years, Basavareddy has been polishing his skills and gaining momentum against his opponents. For the junior, tennis has taught him to think tactically and opened many doors for him.

"I love the individuality of the sport and that everything comes down to you," said Basavareddy. "It's more problem-solving on the court, and no one is really telling you what to do."

Because Basavareddy has been perfecting his skills from a young age, he has made quite the name for himself in junior tennis. Just this year, Basavareddy earned a spot in the prestigious Longines Future Tennis Aces tournament, where he played his way into the Longines' 16-player international event played during the 2019 French Open. Basavareddy described the event as nothing he had ever experienced before, having the opportunity to play against top juniors from across the world on red clay courts.

Not only was the experience one to remember for the rest of his life, Basavareddy also gained valuable insight on how the  game is played across the globe.

"That experience helped my game because it opened my eyes to other players around the world and what their game styles were and what I need to improve on to help me keep up with them," said Basavareddy.

In addition to reaching the exclusive international event at the French Open, Basavareddy has been hard at work at home as well. Though a serious knee injury set him back, Basavareddy was able to qualify for the 2019 Midwest Closed Championships as an unseeded player and capture the win for the 16s boys' singles title. It was a grueling seven-day tournament for Basavareddy, but each match he played was a new opportunity to get better and stronger. 

With several high-profile accomplishments under his belt, Basavareddy is gaining confidence in his game each step of the way. While he may not be at 100 percent yet, Basavareddy is hungry for his next big win. Looking forward, Basavareddy is training hard for his next tournament in Florida. Beyond junior tennis, he has aspirations to play college tennis and then someday join the professional tennis circuit. In the meantime, Basavareddy will be spending much of his time training and leaving it all out on the court.