Rafael Nadal, Marin Cilic, Rajiv Ram inspiring #NextGenATP stars | ATP Tour

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Learning from legends: Nadal, Cilic, Lahm inspire #NextGenATP stars

Basavareddy, Prizmic and Landaluce talk about their role models

November 04, 2025

Nishesh Basavareddy, Dino Prizmic and Martin Landaluce have followed in the footsteps of their predecessors on the road to the Next Generation ATP Finals presented by PIF in December.

Each #NextGenATP star draws inspiration from fellow players and personal mentors, players whose influence has helped shape not only their game, but their sport and lifestyle on tour.

For Basavareddy, who grew up in Indiana, that inspiration comes both from his Indian-American heritage and from one of the most revered figures in American doubles tennis, Rajiv Ram.

“We have a common coach in Brian Smith,” Basavareddy told ATPTour.com in New York. “Brian has been coaching since Raj was 14 or 15 years old, and I started working with Brian when I moved to Indiana when I was eight years old. As I got older and started playing on tour, Raj and I started to interact more. He was a great mentor and now I can call him a friend as well.”

Watching Ram, the 32-time tour-level doubles champion, succeed on the ATP Tour and become one of the few Indian-Americans to succeed at the top level provided Basava Reddy with a role model worth emulating.

“It was huge,” he reflects. “When you’re young, you don’t really know what the pro tour is like. But seeing Raj travel, compete and win really made me understand it. It also gave my parents confidence. He was one of the first Indian-Americans to be really successful.”

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Basavaredi also praised contemporary American players, from Francis Tiafoe and Tyler Fritz to Sebastian Korda and Ben Shelton, as everyday examples of how to build a career the right way.

“They’re both very respectable,” said Basavareddy, a semifinalist at this year’s ATP 250 event in Auckland. “They’re getting better every year, and they’re great guys off the field. I try to learn little things from all of them.”

Representing America and his heritage is something the 20-year-old is proud of.

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

In Spain, Landalus had the unique privilege of learning directly from two of Spain’s superstars, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. Both of them set the gold standard for Spanish championships.

Landalus joined the Rafael Nadal Academy at the age of 14 and was immediately immersed in a world-class environment.

“Just a week or two after arriving, I was already training with Rafa on clay, which is his best surface,” Landalus told ATPTour.com at the Rafa Nadal Academy in August. “It’s a big challenge, but I love it.”

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

“The thing that shocked me the most was that he treated me as an equal,” Landalus shared. “Even though I was only 14 years old and unknown, he respected me, trained hard and took every point seriously. This attitude has stayed with me.”

This professionalism, coupled with humility, remains the essence that Landalus tries to emulate: “Even with all the fans and kids around him, Rafa always makes time for them. This humility inspires me. I try to do the same.”

The young Spaniard also found inspiration in his close friend and U.S. Open junior champion Alcaraz.

“Carlos is an amazing guy, funny, down to earth and a natural,” Landalus said. “He has accomplished so much, yet he remains so energetic and joyful. That inspires me to keep my own spirit alive and keep learning.”

For Landalus, this blend of humility, fight and joy defines what the Spanish way of playing football is all about.

“With this spirit, we fought until the end,” said Landalus, who won the ATP Challenger Tour title in Orleans this year. “Even though I was down 0-6, 0-5, I still believed I could win. This fighting spirit is part of our Spanish players.”

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

“I have a lot of respect for both of them,” Prizmic said. “From them I learned to fight for every point, no matter the score, and to believe in myself. I first met Borna when I was young, at the Piatti Tennis Academy. We became very good friends from then on. I later met him in Zagreb when I was training with Marin.”

Having access to proven champions is invaluable, he said.

“It’s great to have a player like that next to you,” Przymic explained. “You can always go to them for advice and they’re willing to help.”

Three-time ATP Challenger Champion Prizmic has already had the opportunity to represent Croatia in the Davis Cup, and these moments have deepened his national pride.

“We played Slovakia this year and won,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun for me. It’s special to wear the colors of your country and feel that support.”

For these three players, their role models are more than just names, they are living reminders of where dedication and faith can lead. Whether it’s Nadal’s humility, Rahm’s guidance or Cilic’s fighting spirit, these role models continue to guide them as they prepare for the biggest phase of their young careers.

This is the third feature in our next generation ATP series Next. Read our other stories here:

Wimbledon dreams, Nishikori’s runs and Finch’s courtside lessons: #NextGenATP stars share early memories
Next up: How Tien, Basavareddy and Engel made the leap

On November 18, we’ll take a look at what powers Landaluce, Justin Engel and Federico Cina.