Nishesh Basavareddy, 19, gave a major scare to Novak Djokovic in the first round of the Australian Open. USA’s Nishesh Basavareddy won the first set 6-4 to create pressure on the 37-year-old and his coach Andy Murray. However, the Serbian showed why he is the best in the business as he staged a remarkable comeback to win the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

After progressing to the second round, Djokovic was all praise for the Indian-origin American, saying the latter was the “better player for a set and a half.”

The 10-time Australian Open champion said Nishesh deserves every bit of applause for raising his game on the big stage.

“In the end, it was great. He was the better player for a set and a half. He deserves every bit of applause he got when exiting the court,” Djokovic said after the win.

“It was a good performance. To be really honest with you, I have never seen him play up to 2-3 days ago. I didn’t know much about him,” he added.

‘These kinds of matches are always tricky’

Djokovic candidly admitted that he knew little about his opponent. The Serbian also wished the youngster good luck for the rest of his career.

“This kind of matchups are always tricky and dangerous, you are playing somebody who have nothing to lose. Just a very complete player, pleasantly surprised with all of his shots. Wish him all the best for the rest of his career,” said Djokovic.

For the uninitiated, Nishesh was born on May 2, 2005, in Newport Beach, California. He is the son of two Indians — Muralikrishna and Sai Prasanna, from Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.

Nishesh’s parents moved to the US in 1999. The 19-year-old turned pro in December 2024 following a dominant season in the ATP Challenger Tour.