NextGenATP Rivals Tien and Basavareddy Set for Wimbledon Duel

WIMBLEDON, England — Friends turned rivals, Learner Tien and Nishesh Basavareddy are set to face off in their first ATP match on Monday at Wimbledon. This clash comes less than a year after both competed in an ATP Challenger final in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

After sharing a meal and watching Grand Slam matches together in 2024, the American players are thrilled to find themselves on the grass courts at the All England Club for the first time. Both athletes, who have been competing against each other since childhood in California, consider this match a pivotal moment in their tennis careers.

<p“It’s pretty crazy that we are now playing here,” Basavareddy, ranked No. 100 in the world, told ATPTour.com. He recalled the day they played in Bloomfield Hills, where he and Tien were both at the same event, watching other players while preparing for their own matches.

<pTien, the current World No. 67, reflected on his journey from that 2024 final to this moment. “Last year, we played in what was the first Challenger final of my career. It’s a full-circle thing to be drawn against each other at Wimbledon,” he said.

While the two have competed against each other before, they have only faced off once since their Challenger final. In November 2024, Tien also won that match at a Challenger event in Knoxville, Tennessee.

<p“Both our games match up well; we have a lot of baseline rallies,” Basavareddy said. “I think it will be really fun. We played at like eight-and-under, 10-and-under, 12-and-under, so to finally be playing on one of the biggest stages will be cool.”

As they prepare for their match, Tien acknowledges he’s not letting past victories against Basavareddy influence his mindset. “A match is a match. It doesn’t carry so much weight,” Tien stated.

This encounter is not just another match for these players but represents the culmination of years of competition and camaraderie. Both look to make their mark on the grass courts during this year’s Wimbledon.