ATP Madrid, Darderi: “Prima di Monfils ho avuto difficoltà ad addormentarmi. Roma il torneo più speciale”

From Madrid, our correspondent

On Wednesday at the Mutua Madrid Open, Luciano Darderi was the only Italian player in the men’s draw and, against Gael Monfils, he delivered a great performance. With a score of 6-4 6-2 against the Frenchman, it was his first victory in a Masters1000 tournament for Luli, who after his impressive performance spoke to the journalists in the mixed zone. Cheerful and talkative, the Italian addressed various topics, from his emotions after this important win to the playing conditions, mentioning Rome, the Davis Cup, and of course Jannik Sinner. Here are his statements.

Q: You got your first victory in a Masters1000 against Monfils, can you tell us how you are feeling?

Luciano Darderi: “I am thrilled, I had some pressure at the beginning of the match. Playing against Gael on the center court in Madrid was exciting, I struggled to fall asleep! I managed to play excellent tennis, and I’m happy with how it went. I have improved a lot physically and mentally, and I think I have been able to demonstrate that more in the most important matches I have played this year. I have worked very hard with my physical trainer and my dad, who has been my coach forever. I was prepared for this big leap, coming from a period where I played well for several months. In Cordoba, I was able to play my best tennis, and things have gone well from there. I had the level, it was just a matter of being able to express it. Now my goal is to climb in the rankings and continue to maintain this level, which is the most important thing.”

Q: Next up is Fritz, the first top 20 player you will face in your career. How do you see this match? Are you taking it match by match or have you looked at the draw?

Luciano Darderi: “It will be a great match, but I am arriving with great confidence, I am playing very well on clay. I hope to give my best and to win. Usually, I take a look at the draw, but in such a big tournament, I haven’t seen it. The important thing will be to give everything in every match.”

Q: Monfils was very impressed by your level, what does Gael represent for you?

Luciano Darderi: “Yes, I thought the altitude would give me more problems, but on the center court, the surface is a bit slower and the ball travels a bit less. However, I was able to adapt well, I responded very well and served well. Facing Gael, who was once ranked no. 6 and has beaten Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, is incredible. I used to watch him a lot as a kid, but there comes a time when I have to think more about winning than who I am facing.”

Q: You are in a great moment, are you also thinking about a possible call-up for the Davis Cup? Have you talked to Volandri?

Luciano Darderi: “I don’t know if they will call me up because of the ranking, but yes, if they did, I would be there. I don’t know when the Davis Cup is and I haven’t spoken to the Federation yet, there are many players competing and Italian tennis today is at a very high level, both in singles and doubles. I haven’t spoken to the Captain yet, but we will talk about it sooner or later, maybe in Rome or at the Roland Garros.”

Giovanni Pelazzo, Ubitennis: Are you also considering the Olympics?

Luciano Darderi: “Yes, definitely, I am in contention for the Olympics. There are two rankings, the ATP ranking, and the Race for the Olympics… I haven’t figured out which one to look at yet, but yes, we are in the running for the Olympics.”

Q: Tell us about your serve? Today you won 81% of the points with your first serve, it worked great.

Luciano Darderi: “We are at altitude, so in general, it works well. I missed a lot of first serves, but when they were in, I saw that I was doing damage with my serve. The conditions are very similar to Cordoba.”

Giovanni Pelazzo, Ubitennis: What are your expectations for the Rome tournament? Is it just another event for you or do you feel it in a particular way?

Luciano Darderi: “Playing in Rome will be very special, I also lived there for two years, between 16 and 18. Furthermore, being in Italy will make it a great event, with all the cheering that will be there. It’s the most special tournament of the year, I used to go watch it live when I was younger. I am very excited about the idea of being able to play there again, last year I missed out on qualifying by just one spot and this year I am in the main draw. I didn’t expect to get there so quickly, I am very happy with everything I have done so far. I will continue to work with humility.”

Giovanni Pelazzo, Ubitennis: In 2020 you played the qualifiers, what memories do you have?

Luciano Darderi: “Yes, I played thanks to a wild card from the FITP. I lost in the third set against Joao Sousa, but now there are definitely different expectations.”

Q: Who are and have been your inspirations, the players you have looked up to in tennis?

Luciano Darderi: “I have always liked Del Potro when I was little and lived in Argentina, then I started to like Federer, but there has never been one in particular.”

Q: And now Sinner?

Luciano Darderi: “Jannik is incredible, both as a player and as a person. I don’t know him very well, but he always greets me and behaves fantastically with me and my team. He is very humble, I think that is a fundamental aspect in a player. He is an example for everyone, not just for Italians, but for all tennis players, juniors, and beginners. He is very close to being no. 1, Italian tennis has grown a lot lately, with nine players in the top 100. Both in Argentina and Italy, tennis is at a high level.”

Q: You also find yourself somewhat in between these two countries…

Luciano Darderi: “I was born in Argentina, but my grandfather is Italian. I have never thought about changing citizenship, from Italy to Argentina or vice versa. From when I was ten years old until now, I have always played for Italy and so far I have never changed.”