Indian-origin American tennis player Nishesh Basavareddy pulled off a massive win of his career when he stunned seventh-seed Taylor Fritz in the first round of the French Open — a big upset on the opening day at the Roland Garros.
The 21-year-old wild card player, ranked No. 148 in the world, had to work hard for the win against fellow American Fritz, especially in the opening three sets. But Nishesh held his nerve to win the first two sets in tie-breaks before completely taking control in the fourth set to register his maiden French Open victory. Nishesh won the match 7-6(5), 7-6(5), 6-7(9), 6-1.
Fritz had entered the tournament with limited match practice because of a knee injury and became the first top seed to be knocked out of this year’s French Open.
The American, whose parents moved to the United States from Telangana, India, called it the biggest win of his career. Born in California, Nishesh is considered one of the rising stars in American tennis. He entered the French Open main draw after winning the USTA’s Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge.
“Definitely,” he said when asked if it was his greatest victory. “What a match. Taylor’s obviously a great player, so I’m super happy to get through that, especially after losing the third set. First French Open main draw, and all the support. It’s incredible.”
With the win, Nishesh secured the first top-10 victory of his career. He also became the first American since 2000 to beat a top-10 player at Roland Garros.
He will next face the winner of the match between fellow American Alex Michelsen and Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko in the second round.
