![\"Gilles](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/cervara-basavareddy-jeddah-2025-feature.jpg\")
<\/p>\n Player Features
\n Basavareddy discusses ‘huge’ Cervara partnership<\/p>\n
American discusses relationship with French coach<\/p>\n
December 18, 2025<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Corinne Dubreuil\/ATP Tour<\/p>\n
Gilles Cervara and Nishesh Basavareddy teamed at the start of December.
\n By Sam Jacot<\/p>\n
Nishesh Basavareddy<\/a> knows exactly what is at stake on Friday at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF<\/a>. After splitting his first two round-robin matches, the 20-year-old American heads into a must-win clash with Justin Engel<\/a>, with a semi-final berth hanging in the balance.<\/p>\n Pressure moments are nothing new at this level, but this time Basavareddy faces them with a fresh, heavyweight presence courtside. Working alongside him for the first time at a tournament is Gilles Cervara<\/a>, one of the most respected coaches on the ATP Tour.<\/p>\n Cervara guided Daniil Medvedev<\/a> to the 2021 US Open<\/a> and No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2022. He joined forces with Basavareddy in December following his split with Medvedev in August. For Basavareddy, the move felt natural.<\/p>\n \u201cMy team reached out to his team after we heard about his split with Daniil,\u201d Basavareddy told ATPTour.com in Jeddah. \u201cWe just thought it\u2019d be a great fit with all his experience and his mindset. I\u2019m really glad it worked out.\u201d<\/p>\n The partnership represents a new challenge for both. For Cervara, it\u2019s a return to the developmental process with a rising talent. For Basavareddy, it\u2019s a chance to accelerate his growth with someone who has already mapped the road to the very top.<\/p>\n Early conversations between player and coach have focused on the foundations of game, body and long-term sustainability.<\/p>\n \u201cThe game is a huge, huge aspect,\u201d Basavareddy said on what they have been working on in December. \u201cPhysically, that\u2019s also a big area I can continue to improve in. We\u2019re trying to build the right team around us to improve that side. I\u2019ve also put a lot of work into my serve.\u201d<\/p>\n Basavareddy reached the semi-finals at the ATP 250 in Auckland in January and then took a set off Novak Djokovic<\/a> at the Australian Open<\/a>. However, he was unable to find his best level for large parts of the season, with his other tour-level wins coming in Cincinnati, Los Cabos, Winston-Salem and Hangzhou.<\/p>\n Short-term priorities for the pair are now clear, with a focus on conditioning and preparation for the 2026 season. Beyond that, the vision widens.<\/p>\n \u201cInitially it’s to try to get healthy, try to get ready for the new season and then moving forward, just try to become the best player I can be and see how far, how far we can go up the rankings.\u201d<\/p>\n Basavereddy knows having a coach who has navigated tennis\u2019s highest peaks is invaluable. In 2019, Cervara was named the ATP Coach of the Year in the ATP Awards. Medvedev earned his first two of six ATP Masters 1000 trophies that season, won the Nitto ATP Finals<\/a> in 2020, claimed his first major trophy in 2021 at the US Open<\/a> and then reached No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2022, all under Cervara\u2019s guidance.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s huge,\u201d Basavareddy said. \u201cThis first year on Tour I\u2019ve learned a lot. There are definitely things I could have done differently. So going forward, it\u2019s nice to have someone who knows the path to get to the top. I think that\u2019ll help me a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked about inevitable parallels to Medvedev, Basavareddy keeps his perspective grounded, though.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s tough to say because we\u2019re completely different players,\u201d Basavareddy added on comparisons. \u201cBut I\u2019m glad he believes in me and I believe in myself. Hopefully we can see how far I can go.\u201d<\/p>\n