By Tennis Now | @TennisNow | Monday, January 27, 2025
Photo credit: Andy Cheung/Getty
The next wave of talented American players is set to take Delray Beach by storm!
The Australian Open saw the rise of Learner Tien and Nishesh Basavareddy, who are gearing up to compete in the Delray Beach Open qualifiers during Opening Weekend, February 7-9 at the picturesque Delray Beach Stadium & Tennis Center, as announced by tournament officials.
Incredible Upset: Keys Stuns Swiatek for First AO Final
Out of the qualifiers, four players will secure their spots in the ATP 250 main draw event, scheduled to take place from February 10-16.
Don’t miss out—secure your tickets now at DelrayBeachOpen.com.
The dynamic duo of Tien and Basavareddy, both 19, captivated audiences during the season’s opening Grand Slam.
Tien, a left-handed powerhouse, triumphed through three qualifying matches and then battled his way to three additional victories, which included taking down No. 5 Daniil Medvedev in a thrilling fifth-set tiebreaker. This achievement makes him the youngest man to reach the Australian Open fourth round since the legendary Rafael Nadal in 2005. Meanwhile, Basavareddy earned a wild card into his first Grand Slam main draw, where he impressively captured his first-ever set against ten-time champion Novak Djokovic before being eliminated in four sets.
Tien, who previously secured a third-place finish at the 2021 USTA National Clay Court Boys’ 18 Championships held in Delray Beach, is projected to break into the world’s Top 100 next week at an exciting No. 80. Basavareddy is knocking on the door of his own milestone with a career-high ranking of No. 107.
Both players aim to join fellow Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul in the main draw of the Delray Beach Open. Fritz, with a current world ranking of No. 4, is the defending champion, while Paul, last year’s runner-up, is set to make his debut in the world’s Top 10 after his impressive performance reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals. Check out the initial main draw entry list here.
Also competing in the DBO qualifying rounds are familiar names for Delray Beach tennis enthusiasts, including Christopher Eubanks, a 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinalist, and Mackenzie McDonald, a two-time Delray Beach Open semifinalist.
Here’s a glimpse of the 2025 Delray Beach Open qualifying field by the numbers so far (with two wild cards still yet to be announced):
3 ATP Tour title winners: Christopher Eubanks, Yibing Wu, Taro Daniel
5 previous main draw participants of the Delray Beach Open: Christopher Eubanks, Mackenzie McDonald, Aleksandar Kovacevic, Taro Daniel, Mitchell Krueger
4 players who triumphed at the 2025 Australian Open: Learner Tien, Tristan Boyer, Mitchell Krueger, James Duckworth
1 NCAA singles champion: Mackenzie McDonald, UCLA, 2016
7 Americans: Christopher Eubanks, Nishesh Basavareddy, Aleksandar Kovacevic, Learner Tien, Mackenzie McDonald, Tristan Boyer, Mitchell Krueger
5 players aged 25 or younger: Youngest – Learner Tien, 19
3 players aged 30 or older: Oldest – James Duckworth, 33