Sinner but not only, who is Luciano Darderi, surprise winner at the Cordoba Open

Luciano Darderi wins the Cordoba tournament, the Italian tennis player number 76 ATP

The week of the Italian-Argentine tennis player Luciano Darderi was truly fabulous: the almost 22 year old (birthday February 14th) won the first ATP tournament (250) of his career on the clay court of Cordoba, winning seven victories in a row, having started from the qualifiers. The final against Facundo Bagnis was dominated (6/1, 6/4) and allowed him to make a further leap in the world ranking: 60 positions gained in 7 days and a career best in 76th place.

Luciano Darderi sees the main draw of Roland Garros and Wimbledon

“Incredible – explains Luciano Darderi after winning the ATP 250 tournament in Argentina – at the beginning of the week I was number 136, and starting from the qualifiers I managed to win the title. Today's match was very important, because it can give me the chance to get into the draw both in Paris and at Wimbledon. It's a dream come true.” The semi-final was the most complicated match for the Italian tennis player: “The one with Baez was the most difficult match. But I showed that I have the level to compete with these players. My father, who is also my coach, and I decided that I should adopt an aggressive game plan, always with my feet on the pitch. And it worked.”

“I didn't expect to win, but in the last five, six months I've worked hard. Last year I won my first challengers, today the first ATP title. Ever since we were little, my father insisted on working with me and my brother”, explains Luciano Darderi.

Luciano Darderi and the magnificent 6 Italians in the ATP top-100. Jannik Sinner commands

Luciano Darderi makes Italian tennis fans dream: behind the phenomenon Jannik Sinner there is a movement that is flying. They are overall six Italian players are in the top-100: in addition to the two mentioned, Lorenzo Musetti (26th), Matteo Arnaldi (43°), Lorenzo Sonego (48°) e Flavio Cobolli (72°). With three others close to the top 100 in the world: Fabio Fognini, Giulio Zeppieri and Luca Nardi. Son of art (father Gino was among the top 30 Argentines in the eighties), born in the province of Buenos Aires (in Villa Gesell), but with a double passport – Argentine and Italian thanks to the citizenship of his grandfather, originally from a town near Florence , emigrated to Argentina. And it is in our country that he grew up as a tennis player: “I started playing in Argentina and with tennis it was love at first sight. Until the age of 10 I remained in South America, then we decided to come to Italy. I immediately understood what it meant to train and always give my best, beyond the result. Tennis is something that explodes inside me and that I would like to never leave.”

Luciano Darderi, the Italian tennis player and idol Juan Martin Del Potro

An important experience in 2020: he was sparring partner at the ATP Finals of Tsitsipas, Berrettini, Schwartzman and Djokovic. Then a lot of training, Futures and Challenger tournaments, 4 finals and 2 victories in the minor circuit before the explosion in the ATP 250 in Cordoba. Luciano Darderi's idol is Argentinian. Not just anyone, but the unforgettable phenomenon of world tennis, Juan Martin Del Potro (extraordinary talent who, when he didn't have physical problems, managed to put even Federer, Nadal and Djokovic in difficulty in their golden years). “If I have to choose one characteristic of Del Potro, I choose his willpower. It's something that takes you mentally, that gives you the belief that you can try. It's very nice to see professionals of a certain level who at a certain age continue to fight “.

Furthermore, Luciano Darderi is not the only tennis talent in the family: watch out for his brother Vito Antonio, born in 2008, another promising player in this sport…

Jannik Sinner returns to the field: ATP 500 in Rotterdam dreaming of overtaking Medvedev

Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner returns to the court after winning the 2024 Australian Open: the world number 4 is the top seed of the tournament ATP 500 Rotterdam where a year ago he reached the final, losing after a three-set battle against Daniil Medvedev (the Russian's last success over the Italian, then 4 Italian victories culminating with the triumph in Melbourne). If the 22-year-old from South Tyrol were to win the tournament, he would rise to 3rd place in the ATP ranking, surpassing Medvedev himself (who doesn't play in Holland). But it is too early to make calculations, in the meantime the spotlight will be on his debut scheduled for Tuesday against the host Botic van de Zandschulp.