Next Gen ATP Finals star reveals why he hired Daniil Medvedev’s former coach

Oli Dickson Jefford 15 Dec 2025 4:00 PM

Pictured: Nishesh Basavareddy and Gilles Cervara.

ATP Tour star Nishesh Basavareddy and coach Gilles Cervara.

Rising US tennis star Nishesh Basavareddy hopes the “experience” of new coach Gilles Cervara will help push him to new heights as he looks to continue his progression on the ATP Tour.

Basavareddy is one of eight players set to be in action at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah this week, with the American having qualified for the tournament for the second straight year.

The 20-year-old’s campaign in Jeddah comes after a season that saw him make his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open back in January, pushing Novak Djokovic to four sets in the opening round of action in Melbourne.

He also made his maiden Wimbledon and US Open main draw appearances in 2025, but, after reaching a career-high of 99th in the ATP Rankings back in June, Basavareddy is back down at 167th in the ATP Rankings.

Having been ranked 138th at the end of 2024, the rising US star will look to surge back up the rankings and establish himself on the tour in 2026, with acclaimed coach Cervara now part of his team.

The Frenchman split from Daniil Medvedev back in August 2025, after Medvedev’s third straight opening-round exit at a Grand Slam.

However, Cervara’s partnership with the Russian had been hugely successful, having guided Medvedev to the world No 1 ranking and the 2021 US Open title.

The news of Basavareddy’s new partnership with Cervara was revealed in late November, with the ATP Next Gen Finals being the first tournament in which the two are working together.

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Speaking on the ATP Tour website, Basavareddy opened up about what he was looking to learn from his new coach.

He said: “Obviously, he had a long and successful partnership with Daniil, who was a good player before they started working together, but they did a lot of great things together.

“I thought that experience at the highest level could help me where I’m at in my career. It’s not just the tennis; he’s interested in all aspects.

“He’s diligent and professional in areas such as nutrition and fitness and that will help me.”

Basavareddy is the sixth seed at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, which will be held in a round-robin format.

The American faces group stage matches against second seed Alexander Blockx, third seed Dino Prizmic, and eighth seed Justin Engel, with the top two players progressing to the semi-final.

In the absence of Jakub Mensik and Joao Fonseca, top seed and world No 28 Learner Tien — the only top 100 player in the draw — is the heavy favourite to lift the title.

Past champions at the event include Fonseca, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner.