The bravest (and logical) decision of Basavareddy

Fernando Murciego | 7 Dec 2024 | 12.15

Nishesh Basavareddy bets on professional tennis. Source: Getty

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One must put themselves in the shoes of a 19-year-old boy like Nishesh Basavareddy to understand what this is all about. A young man torn between pursuing a university career or going all-in for professional tennis. What would you do? Although most of us would opt for the latter, the truth is that nothing is guaranteed on the tour... unless you are exceptionally good. Perhaps that is his case; otherwise, it is impossible to start the season ranked #457 in the world and finish at #138. The decision has been made, as the player himself announced a few days ago through his social media.

“Since I started playing tennis at the age of three, this has been my dream: to be a professional tennis player. I can only thank my friends, my family, my coaches, and the Stanford community, as well as the USTA. Thanks to all of them, I will be able to live my childhood dream. That said, it is time to announce that I will renounce my NCAA eligibility to play professional tennis. I am eagerly waiting to see what the future holds for me,” posted the American born in Newport Beach on Instagram.

Only he knows the difficulty of taking this path, although all signs pointed to the circuit. Beyond the leap in the rankings, Nishesh has closed the calendar with a record of 48-16 and two titles in 18 tournaments played. Champion at the Tiburon CH75 and the Puerto Vallarta CH50 – besides four other lost finals – Basavareddy can proudly claim to hold the historical top 3 for the best seasons in the Challenger circuit signed by Americans under 20. Hence the prize he will collect in a couple of weeks, competing at the ATP #NextGen Finals in Jeddah from November 18 to 22.

CALL TO SUCCESS

We look forward to seeing him compete with the best under-20 tennis players in Jeddah, where three of the eight participants will come from the country of the 50 stars. But what we really anticipate is seeing him on the senior circuit, showing what he is made of and whether he is truly capable of breaking into the top 100 sooner rather than later. His coach, Paul Goldstein, is one of his great supporters, a person who knows him perfectly and does not doubt his potential.

“Nishesh is a very special young man, his on-court successes pay tribute to a unique talent, a highly disciplined work ethic, and an absolute passion for our sport,” states the Washington native, who reached #58 in the ATP rankings at the beginning of this century. “More important than all of this is that his family consists of thoughtful, wonderful kind people. Now the boy is living his lifelong dream: to pursue a professional career in tennis. I couldn't be happier for him; at Stanford, you will always have a home,” confessed the coach, one of the individuals who will follow each of those steps as the year 2025 begins.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La decisión más valiente (y lógica) de Basavareddy

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