Australian Open 2025: Djokovic kicks off his record 25th Grand Slam title quest with 1st round win

The World No.7 Novak Djokovic began his quest for record-breaking 25th Grand Slam triumph with a first round of the Australian Open men’s singles at the Rod Laver Arena on Monday, January 13. 

Djokovic defeated Nishesh Basavareddy of the USA - 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in order to advance to the second round of the calendar year’s first Grand Slam tournament at Melbourne Park. The Serbian tennis star faced a tough challenge by an Indian Origin-American player in the opening set as he struggled to find his rhythm, giving a chance to wild entry to capitalise on it.  

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However, Novak Djokovic managed to make a comeback in the second set with 6-3. At one point, Nishesh Basavareddy challenged the 10-time Australian Open champion as the second set stood at 3-3. Djokovic won the next three games to take the second set and level the match at 1-1. 

After the second set, Basavareddy  lost his consistency as the fatigue got to him, thus giving Djokovic an edge over the American rising tennis sensation to dominate the next two sets. Though Novak Djokovic won the opening round of the men’s singles, the valiant effort of Nishesh Basavareddy, who hogged the spotlight with his spirited performance against one of the greatest players of all time. 

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The Serbian tennis star lavished praise on Nishesh Basavareddy, stating that the Indian-American youngster deserves applause for her performance. Djokovic added that he was surprised by every shot Basavareddy played and lauded his spirited performance. 

“He (Nishesh) was a better player for a set and a half. He deserved every bit of applause he got when he left the court.” Djokovic said in on-court after the first round win. 

“To be honest, I’ve never seen him play up until 3 or 4 days ago. I didn’t know much about him. These matchups are always tricky when you play someone with nothing to lose.

“First match ever for him in a slam. He pleasantly surprised me with all of his shots and fighting spirit towards the end. I wish him all the best for the rest of his career.” he added. 

Novak Djokovic will take on Jaime Faria of Portugal in the second round on Wednesday, January 15. Apart from his quest to clinch 25th Grand Slam triumph, the Serbian tennis star is eyeing to reclaim his Australia Open title, which he failed to defend following his semifinal defeat against eventual champion Jannik Sinner of Italy last year.