- The 24-year-old Italian player is at the peak of his career and heads into the ATP 250 with a title under his belt in 2026
Mexico City, July 13, 2026.—Born on February 14, 2002, in Argentina but representing Italy, this is the story of Luciano Darderi, currently No. 18 in the ATP Rankings
He began traveling between Italy and Argentina at age 10, before deciding to move permanently to the country he represents in order to fully develop his career. His father, Gino—a former tennis player—has been his coach since Luciano picked up a racket at age two and began training at age five.
His specialty is clay, the surface that has earned him the five titles he currently holds on the ATP Tour, all in the 250 category (Córdoba 2024, Morocco, Sweden, Croatia 2025, and Chile 2026). In February, he lost in the final of the Argentina Open to Francisco Cerúndolo, who is also competing in the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo.
Despite being eliminated in the first round at Wimbledon—the tournament every child dreams of winning—Luciano is having the best year of his career after reaching the semifinals of the Rome Masters 1000. His greatest dream is to win at home, and he came within one step of the final before being eliminated by Casper Ruud. This year, he also reached the fourth round at the Australian Open.
He represented Italy at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and along the same lines, another of his major goals is to be part of the Davis Cup team. He has expressed disappointment at not yet having received a call-up. He has caught the attention of the Argentine team, but as he climbs the rankings, his goal may be close to being achieved, since as of summer 2026, he is the fourth-highest-ranked Italian in the world.
Like most athletes today, his training goes beyond just sports, with a strong focus on nutrition. Luciano says that avocados are a fundamental part of his diet because of all their health benefits. He eats this fruit for breakfast every day and has a partnership with the World Avocado Organization.
“These days, to reach the highest level, it’s not enough to just train hard: you have to take care of every aspect, from recovery and sleep to nutrition. Eating healthily is essential, but I also believe it’s important to find a balance and enjoy what you do, without feeling like every choice means giving something up. It’s the small, everyday details that, in the end, make all the difference.”