Basavareddy Stuns Fritz in Four-Set French Open Shocker as Indian-Origin Wildcard Announces Arrival

The French Open needed just one day for its first major upset. Seventh seed Taylor Fritz crashed out in the opening round, beaten by American wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy — a 21-year-old of Indian origin — in a gripping four-set battle that lasted 3 hours and 25 minutes.
Basavareddy, ranked 154th in the world, won 7-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-1, playing fearless tennis from the first ball to the last. Handed a wildcard into the main draw, he made sure the opportunity counted.
From the outset, Basavareddy took the match to Fritz. He refused to be intimidated by the American’s power or pedigree. The first three sets all went to tiebreaks, with the youngster holding his nerve in the biggest moments. Though Fritz snatched the third set to stay alive, Basavareddy slammed the door in the fourth. He raced through it 6-1, giving the seventh seed no room to recover.
It’s the biggest win of Basavareddy’s career and one of the standout stories of the tournament’s opening day.
The Indian connection
While Nishesh was born and raised in the U.S., his roots run deep in India. His parents, Murlikrishna and Sai Prasanna, left Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, for America in 1999 in search of work. The family remains closely connected to India.
His win carries extra weight because India has no singles player in the main draw this year. In doubles, Yuki Bhambri and Sriram Balaji are flying the flag.