Basavareddy discusses 'huge' Cervara partnership
Nishesh Basavareddy knows exactly what is at stake on Friday at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. After splitting his first two round-robin matches, the 20-year-old American heads into a must-win clash with Justin Engel, with a semi-final berth hanging in the balance.
Pressure moments are nothing new at this level, but this time Basavareddy faces them with a fresh, heavyweight presence courtside. Working alongside him for the first time at a tournament is Gilles Cervara, one of the most respected coaches on the ATP Tour.
Cervara guided Daniil Medvedev to the 2021 US Open and No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2022. He joined forces with Basavareddy in December following his split with Medvedev in August. For Basavareddy, the move felt natural.
“My team reached out to his team after we heard about his split with Daniil,” Basavareddy told ATPTour.com in Jeddah. “We just thought it’d be a great fit with all his experience and his mindset. I’m really glad it worked out.”
The partnership represents a new challenge for both. For Cervara, it’s a return to the developmental process with a rising talent. For Basavareddy, it’s a chance to accelerate his growth with someone who has already mapped the road to the very top.
Early conversations between player and coach have focused on the foundations of game, body and long-term sustainability.
“The game is a huge, huge aspect,” Basavareddy said on what they have been working on in December. “Physically, that’s also a big area I can continue to improve in. We’re trying to build the right team around us to improve that side. I’ve also put a lot of work into my serve.”
Basavareddy reached the semi-finals at the ATP 250 in Auckland in January and then took a set off Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open. However, he was unable to find his best level for large parts of the season, with his other tour-level wins coming in Cincinnati, Los Cabos, Winston-Salem and Hangzhou.
Short-term priorities for the pair are now clear, with a focus on conditioning and preparation for the 2026 season. Beyond that, the vision widens.
“Initially it’s to try to get healthy, try to get ready for the new season and then moving forward, just try to become the best player I can be and see how far, how far we can go up the rankings.”
Basavereddy knows having a coach who has navigated tennis’s highest peaks is invaluable. In 2019, Cervara was named the ATP Coach of the Year in the ATP Awards. Medvedev earned his first two of six ATP Masters 1000 trophies that season, won the Nitto ATP Finals in 2020, claimed his first major trophy in 2021 at the US Open and then reached No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2022, all under Cervara’s guidance.
“It’s huge,” Basavareddy said. “This first year on Tour I’ve learned a lot. There are definitely things I could have done differently. So going forward, it’s nice to have someone who knows the path to get to the top. I think that’ll help me a lot.”
Asked about inevitable parallels to Medvedev, Basavareddy keeps his perspective grounded, though.
“It’s tough to say because we’re completely different players,” Basavareddy added on comparisons. “But I’m glad he believes in me and I believe in myself. Hopefully we can see how far I can go.”
This week, Basavareddy is back on familiar territory in Jeddah, where he also competed last year. The American went 1-2 at the 20-and-under event in 2024 but will look to avoid a repeat of that record at this year’s event when he faces Justin Engel in his final round-robin match on Friday.
“Last year here I was wide-eyed, it was my first big tournament,” said Basavareddy, a two-time ATP Challenger Tour champion. “This year it feels a little more normal. I’m still really excited. It’s one of the biggest events we have.”
That added familiarity comes from a full season on Tour and the lessons that came with it. Now, the No. 167 player in the PIF ATP Rankings is hoping to finish strong.
“I gained a lot of valuable insight and experience,” he said. “I definitely feel much more experienced than last year. Let’s hope to end 2025 with some success.”
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