David Akhaladze

Nikolos Basilashvili will come back in 2026.

Once being ranked as world Number 16, Nikoloz Basilashvili is finishing 2025 outside the Top 100 (110). A tough mountain to climb, to say the rest. Georgia’s best male tennis player had a tough season to remember and should come back strong.

Nikoloz is no youngster. In February he will turn 34. He is past his prime, but word is, Nikoloz will try to come back first to Top 100 and later, if his health allows him, to Top 50 as well. Basilashvili just needs to start his new season strong.

He closed his last season with 7 wins and 10 lost battles. Not a great result by any means. He was fighting the opposition as well as past demons and could not overcome the adversity. Nikoloz needed the one fair run and was not able to have one.

He finished his season with two modest showings. First, it was Shanghai Masters, where Nikoloz passed the qualification, only to be dethroned in the first round by a former US Open champion Marin Cilic 3:6, 6:7.

He fought back in the last round of Brussels qualifies and overcame Pierre-Hugues Herbert in three tough sets 3:6, 6:3, 7:6 and faced another Frenchman Quentin Halys (that time, world N 77) in the first round. Basilashvili was better and raced to a comfortable win 6:4, 6:4. In the end, Nikoloz was eliminated by a hard serving monster Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (37). Nikoloz lost the first set 5:7 and withdrew from the match.

Basilashvili started the season on a downside, but improved in the later stages, as the season went on. He was effective in Chengdu, where he successfully passed first two rounds by eliminating Billy Harris (131) 7:6, 6:3 and later upstaging Mackenzie McDonald (98) 6:2, 7:6. A Cinderella sory ended in the quarters, where Basilashvili had to face world Number 9 Lorenzo Musetti. Italian craftsman won the game 6:3, 6:3. The event ended there, but Basilashvili’s game was on the upside.

Nikoloz did not enter the US Open main draw, as he was upset in the second qualifying round by Marc-Andrea Huesler 7:6, 7:5. But it was a different story prior to that on Wimbledon. After beating three opponents and reaching the main draw, Basilashvili faced Musetti and downed Lorenzo 6:2, 4:6, 7:5, 6:1. The best win of the season for Nikoloz, who got beaten in the next round by Lorenzo Sonego in four sets. All in all, well earned 99 000 Euros.

The world will see a real Nikoloz as the season will open up the gates in the late December. Basilashvili is motivated. And, so are we.

Good luck, Nikoloz.