Meeting Roger Federer & Jannik Sinner: Luciano Darderi’s memorable Australian Open | ATP Tour

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Meeting Federer & facing the Sinner: Darderi’s memorable Australian Open

The Italian gives insight into his newfound success on hard courts

January 25, 2026

Could Roger Federer be Luciano Darderi’s lucky charm?

Before the Italian reached the second week of a major for the first time at the Australian Open, he met the biggest legend in the sport: Federer. The Swiss has been around these days for the first two days and the 23-year-old Darderi approached him for a photo, a time he was relieved because his trainer, Bernardo Carberol, had long known the list of the tour-level of 103 times.

“It was the first time, and he knew how I play, he knew who I am,” Darderi told ATPTour.com with a sense of surprise. “Congratulations, he said.”

Federer is not alone.

Many people are getting to know Darderi, who first broke into the Top 100 in the PIF ATP Rankings almost two years ago. Now, he has reached No. 23 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and rising.

Surprisingly, Darderi Slam’s success has come on hard courts. Entering the Australian Open, he held a 9-29 record in the faceoff. Now the 2025 triple clay court title winner is into the fourth round after defeating close friend Cristian Garin, Sebastian Baez and 2023 Melbourne semi-finalist Karen Khachanov.

“I was feeling very good. I think we did a good preseason hard, and last week I have a lot of hope for Auckland because I made my first quarter-final on a hard court,” said Darderi. “I think those matches gave me a lot of confidence, and here I started to play very well. Today was the most important match for me in my career, because in the second week in a Grand Slam, you don’t do that. [that] every day. I think today was a big opportunity for me, and I took it.”

Darderi spent some of his off-season training in Dubai, where he trained for one day with his next opponent: two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner. It will be their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

“We just practiced the other day, but we know each other. He’s a really nice guy,” Darderi said. “He is an amazing player. He is number 2 in the world right now. He won two years ago here… But we will try to focus on my game and try to do my best.”

Can Darderi take much from that session with Sinner in their clash? The four-time ATP Tour number one believes that training is very different compared to the game.

“I think he has a really good level on hard courts, obviously. So let’s try to enjoy it, play the best tennis and see what happens,” said Darderi. “He does everything well, so you have to put him in difficult times, or stay close to the court. He works very well, he comes back, he does everything, that’s why he is number 2 in the world now.”

Darderi has been working hard on hard courts, which is a big reason for his recent success (He also made the third round at last year’s US Open.). The Italian spent 10 days with his father and coach, Luciano Enrique Darderi, and World No. 13 Guillermo Perez-Roldan, Argentina before the start of the season.

“We are here [making] a really good team and I feel really comfortable with them,” said Darderi, before explaining what they were focused on. “Attack. Attacking hard courts is one of the keys and then many things, for sure. ”

To Perez-Roldan, Darderi said: “I think we are really similar. From the beginning, he told me the same, that he plays like me before, by serving, and fighting. It’s very good. He is a real friend of my father, too, so it’s really good to have him in a team with a lot of experience. He was No. 13 many things in the world to bring me many things in the world.

“We’re just trying to be aggressive in the important moments, work really well, work better than on clay courts. I think the key is to always play hard or hard, because I’ve been playing a lot on clay. But now I’m playing hard, I’m confident, and I think I have a good hand and I’m playing on hard courts.”