Rafael Nadal, Marin Cilic, Rajeev Ram inspiring #NextGenATP stars

Next Gen

Learning from legends: Nadal, Cilic, Ram inspiring #NextGenATP stars

Basavareddy, Prizmic & Landaluce open up on their role models

Getty Images/Mike Lawrence/ATP Tour

Nishesh Basavareddy, Dino Prizmic and Martin Landaluce are all in the Top 10 in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. By Sam Jacot

Nishesh Basavareddy, Dino Prizmic and Martin Landaluce’s path toward the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in December has been guided by the footsteps of those who came before them.

Each #NextGenATP star has drawn inspiration from countrymen and personal mentors, players whose influence has helped shape not only their games, but also their approach to the sport and life on Tour.

For Basavareddy, who grew up in Indiana, that inspiration came both from his Indian-American roots and from one of the most respected figures in American doubles tennis, Rajeev Ram.

“We have a shared coach in Brian Smith,” Basavareddy told ATPTour.com in New York. “Brian’s been coaching Raj since he was 14 or 15, and when I moved to Indiana at eight years old, I started working with Brian too. As I’ve grown older and started playing on tour, Raj and I began crossing paths more. He’s been a great mentor, and now I can call him a friend as well.”

Watching 32-time tour-level doubles champion Ram succeed on the ATP Tour, and doing so as one of the few Indian-Americans at the top level, gave Basavareddy a model to follow.

“It was huge,” he reflected. “When you’re younger, you don’t really know what the pro tour is like. But seeing Raj travel, compete, and win gave me a real look at it. It also gave my parents confidence. He was one of the first Indian-Americans to really make it.”

Basavareddy also credits the current generation of American players, from Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz to Sebastian Korda and Ben Shelton, as everyday examples of how to build a career the right way.

“They’ve all been great to look up to,” said Basavareddy, who reached the semi-finals at the ATP 250 in Auckland this year. “They’re improving every year, and they’re great guys off the court. I’ve tried to take little things from all of them.”

Representing both the United States and his heritage is something the 20-year-old takes pride in.

“Most of my fans are Indian and the love and support from that community means a lot,” he said. “If I can inspire even a few kids there to pick up a racquet, that would mean the world to me.”

In Spain, Landaluce has had the unique privilege of learning directly from two of the nation’s biggest stars in Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. Both of whom have set the gold standard for what it means to be a Spanish champion.

Landaluce joined the Rafa Nadal Academy at age 14 and was immediately thrown into a world-class environment.

"Just a week or two after arriving, I was already practicing with Rafa, on clay, his best surface,” Landaluce told ATPTour.com at the Rafa Nadal Academy in August. “It was a big challenge, but I loved it.”

Training alongside Nadal left an imprint that went far beyond technique.

“What shocked me most was how he treated me, like an equal,” Landaluce shared. “Even though I was 14 and unknown, he respected me, trained hard, and took every point seriously. That attitude stayed with me.”

That professionalism, coupled with humility, remains the essence of what Landaluce tries to emulate: “Even with all the fans and kids around, Rafa always made time for them. That humility inspired me. I try to do the same.”

The young Spaniard also finds inspiration in Alcaraz, a close friend and fellow US Open junior champion.

“Carlos is an amazing guy, funny, down to earth, and so natural,” Landaluce said. “He’s achieved so much, but he still has that brightness and joy. That motivates me to keep my own spirit alive and keep learning.”

For Landaluce, this blend of humility, fight, and joy defines what it means to play the Spanish way.

“There’s this spirit, we fight until the end,” said Landaluce, who won an ATP Challenger Tour title in Orleans this year. “Even if I’m down 6-0, 5-0, I still believe I can win. That fighting spirit is part of who we are as Spanish players.”

For Prizmic, growing up in Croatia meant looking up to former US Open champion Marin Cilic and 2022 Cincinnati winner Borna Coric. Their success on the world stage showed him what was possible.

“I looked up to both of them,” Prizmic said. “From them I learned to fight every point, to believe in yourself no matter the score. I first met Borna when I was young at the Piatti Tennis Academy. We’ve been very good friends since then. And I met Marin later in Zagreb when I was training with him.”

Having that access to proven champions, he said, has been invaluable.

“It’s a great thing to have players like that around you,” Prizmic explained. “You can always ask them for advice, and they’re willing to help.”

Prizmic, a three-time ATP Challenger Tour champion, has already had the chance to represent Croatia at the Davis Cup, moments that have deepened his sense of national pride.

“We played against Slovakia this year and won,” he said. “That was a big pleasure for me. It’s special to wear your country’s colours and feel that support.”

For all three players, their role models are more than just names, they’re living reminders of where dedication and belief can lead. Whether it’s Nadal’s humility, Ram’s mentorship or Cilic’s fighting spirit, those examples continue to guide them as they prepare for the biggest stages of their young careers.

This is the third feature of our Next Gen ATP series Next in Line. Read our other stories here:

Wimbledon dreams, Nishikori’s run & Vinci’s courtside lessons: #NextGenATP stars share early memories

Next Steps: How Tien, Basavareddy & Engel are making the leap

Click here to read article