Novak Djokovic vs Nishesh Basavareddy Prediction Australian Open Tennis Picks 1/13/25

Novak Djokovic and Nishesh Basavareddy meet in the first round of the 2025 Australian Open on Monday, January 13, 2025. Here’s our Novak Djokovic vs Nishesh Basavareddy prediction. This preview also includes a Novak Djokovic vs Nishesh Basavareddy pick.

Novak Djokovic Preview

Novak Djokovic begins his quest for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title on Monday night. He’s also seeking a record-extending 11th Australian Open.

No player comes close to Djokovic’s numbers at Melbourne Park with 10 titles to his name and a 91.3% winning record. He owns 94 match wins and can reach 100 if he makes it to the semis.

It was in the semifinal where Djokovic hit a roadblock last season losing for the first time in that stage of the Australian Open to Jannik Sinner, the man who dethroned him as champion.

Djokovic will play in his first Grand Slam under the guidance of new coach and former rival Andy Murray. The Serbian lost in the quarterfinal of his opening tournament of the season to Reilly Opelka.

Nishesh Basavareddy Preview

It’s a special moment for the young Nishesh Basavareddy who is set to make his Grand Slam main draw debut. The American wild card impressed at his most recent tournament in Auckland, making his first Tour-level semifinal from qualifying.

Basavareddy beat some seasoned pros including Botic van de Zandschulp, defending champion Alejandro Tabilo, and fellow American Alex Michlesen before losing to eventual champion Gael Monfils.

Basavareddy’s two defeats this season have been to Monfils who also beat him in the opening round in Brisbane. The 19-year-old is ranked at a career-high ranking of No. 133 and is 7-2 for the season. 

He is a two-time champion in the ATP Challenger and owns three victories against Top 50 players.

Novak Djokovic vs Nishesh Basavareddy Head-To-Head

• Djokovic and Basavareddy have no previous history at this level, so this will be their first meeting.

Novak Djokovic vs Nishesh Basavareddy Prediction

In his pre-tournament press conference, Djokovic described Basavareddy as a “complete player” which is glowing praise for a young player who only had a breakthrough week on the ATP Tour while competing in Auckland this past week. At 19, Basavareddy is an up-and-coming talent. He’s looking to take the next step in his evolution from the Challenger level to Tour level and the signs are that he’ll make it seamless. He is a very commanding baseliner with a high tennis IQ.

For the second straight year, Djokovic will play his first round of the Australian Open against a teenager. Last year, he needed four hours to dispatch Croatia’s Dino Prizmic, which is the longest amount of time Djokovic spent in an opening match of a Grand Slam. Basavareddy can live up to the hype and potential of making Djokovic secure a hard-fought victory, but he’s in uncharted waters here against the sport’s greatest. There’s only one outcome.