Djokovic had high praise for 19-year-old Basavareddy after his first-round win in Melbourne

Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday, January 13, 2025

Despite not being able to pull off a win in Melbourne on Monday night, the 19-year-old American Nishesh Vasavareddy He left a huge impression on the big stage as he faced the 24-time Grand Slam champion. Novak Djokovic Work your way through four grueling sets at Rod Laver Arena.

Djokovic himself, who was outplayed by the former Stanford standout for the first set and a half, came back with a glowing review of what he saw from the Southern California native.

“I was very impressed with him,” the 37-year-old Serb said after his 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2 victory. “I think the whole stadium really did that. So he received loud applause and gratitude from the audience. They saw what he did on the court, the quality of tennis he played, his determination.”

Many are comparing Basavareddy’s playing style to that of Djokovic due to the fact that the American has a very balanced game and is excellent at redirecting rallies and penetrating deep on groundstrokes.

(The information below is a comment on play style and technique, not a prediction of future results.)

Nishesh Basavareddy did the best Djokovic impression I have ever seen. It’s not close.

— Gill Gross (@Gill_Gross) January 13, 2025

He also showed extreme composure and mental toughness, unlike Djokovic. After suffering cramps at the end of the second set, Basavareddy came to his senses, saw a trainer and hydrated to continue the fight. He may not have won, but he certainly earned a lot of respect for his efforts.

Naomi Osaka, who was scheduled to play after the Djokovic-Basavareddy match, also paid attention.

Novak Djokovic reacts to Nishesh Basavareddy using his photo as his WhatsApp profile picture after the match. #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/86XVo8By4b

— FirstSportz Tennis (@FS_Tennis1) January 13, 2025

“I was really touched. [Basavareddy]“The kid played by Djokovic,” she said. “I thought it was really cool how focused he was. “I had a strong will to play even though my body was shaking,” he said.

Djokovic said he can expect big things from the current world number 107.

“A lot of credit goes to him for making his Grand Slam debut, playing the way he played for the first time on a big court,” he said. “You did very well. As I said in court, if he continues to do this, he is very young and I am sure we will be seeing quite a lot of him in the future. He’s got really great hands. Overall, a pretty complete player. Of course, he can always improve his shot. He’s already had a really good game.”