The US Open wildcards have been announced, and there is one particular name that has caught the eye.
Venus Williams, the five-time Wimbledon Ladies Singles champion, will continue her unbelievable comeback story at the US Open after competing at the Washington Open and Cincinnati Open.
The 45-year-old defeated compatriot Peyton Stearns in the first round of the Washington Open, while also picking up a victory alongside Hailey Baptiste in the Ladies Doubles competition.
Alongside Williams, a wealth of young talents have been handed a wildcard for the US Open singles tournaments, which are due to start on August 24.
One of these players has just cracked the ATP top 100 and previously emulated Roger Federer at the junior level.
Meet Nishesh Basavareddy
Nishesh Basavareddy has enjoyed a breakout season on the ATP Tour.
While a junior player, the American won the prestigious under-14 boys singles competition at the Orange Bowl, emulating the achievements of Roger Federer, Jimmy Connors and Andre Agassi, who all won the competition at various age brackets.
During his younger years, Basavareddy, who was born in Newport Beach, California, won the World Junior Team Finals in the Czech Republic while playing for the US under-14 team.
The 20-year-old, who was a blue-chip prospect while playing for Stanford University, has gone from strength to strength on the ATP Tour.
While currently ranked 109, the American star cracked the ATP top 100 in June, reaching a ranking of 99.
Basavareddy, who is coached by Bryan Smith and Nishanth Basavareddy, won his first ATP Tour match at the 2024 Next Gen Finals, defeating Shang Juncheng.
He then stunned Novak Djokovic in the first round of the 2025 Australian Open, snatching a set off the 24-time major winner before eventually losing in four sets.
Basavareddy has picked up three more ATP Tour main draw wins in 2025, defeating Francisco Comesana, Alejandro Tabilo and recent Canadian Open quarter-finalist Alex Michelsen.
When will the US Open singles main draw brackets be announced?
The final Grand Slam of the calendar year is right around the corner. Some of the biggest and best tennis players from around the world will converge on New York with the hope of creating history.
US Open qualifying will run from August 18 to August 21. Therefore, the US Open men’s and women’s singles draws are expected to be announced on August 21.
Last year’s winners, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, will be back at Flushing Meadows hoping to repeat their successes of 2024.
However, the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek may have a big role to play in determining this year’s champions.
