In his diary for La Gazzetta dello Sport, Luciano Darderi recounted his off-season training sessions in Dubai alongside Jannik Sinner. The Italian described the experience as both demanding and inspiring. “Jannik is a guy of few words and a lot of substance. Only training and hard work. The weight of his shots and the consistency in rallies make the difference. I felt like I was on a spaceship leaving Earth and landing on Mars. Yes, Jannik is a Martian,” Darderi wrote.
Learning from the best
For Darderi, sparring with Sinner provided valuable insight into what separates the very top players from the rest. He explained that these sessions serve as crucial tests to measure his own progress and highlight areas for improvement. “These are tests that help me a lot to understand what I am missing to rise in level,” he noted.
Ambitions for 2026
After breaking into the world’s top 30 in 2025, Darderi has set his sights on climbing further. His clear goal for the upcoming season is to enter the top 20. “In the last year I entered the top thirty in the world, the goal for 2026 is to reach the top 20. It is not an obsession, but a precise direction,” he said.
Dedication and sacrifice
Darderi acknowledged the sacrifices required to succeed in tennis but emphasized his determination to embrace them fully. “I know that tennis is a sport that requires enormous sacrifices, I am fully aware of that. But I am not someone who backs down. If there is a marathon to run every day to be among the best, I will do it. If there is a mountain to climb, I will climb it. That is my character,” he concluded.
His reflections underline the mindset of a player eager to push his limits, drawing inspiration from training with one of the sport’s elite while setting ambitious goals for the future.
Jannik Sinner in 2025
WWWWWWWWWW Now ranked no.2, the Italian played his last match on the 16th of November when he defeated world no.1 Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(4) 7-5 in the final in the Nitto ATP Finals to win his 25th career title.
This season Sinner has achieved a 58-6 win-loss record. Jannik has won 6 titles in 2025 at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, Beijing, Vienna, Paris and the Nitto ATP Finals. Jannik got to the final in Rome, French Open, Cincinnati and U.S. Open.
Luciano Darderi in 2025
WWWWWLLLLL Now ranked no.26 (career-high), the Italian played his last match on the 5th of November when he lost to world no.52 Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6 6-2 6-3 in the 2nd round in Athens (draw).
During this season Darderi owns a composed 38-30 win-loss record. Luciano conquered 4 titles in 2025 in Marrakech, Bastad, Umag and the Genova Challenger. Luciano reached the final in the Naples Challenger.
He is also scheduled to play in Hong Kong (Hong Kong Tennis Open). The main draw will start on the 30th of December.
Jannik Sinner and Luciano Darderi have never clashed against each other.
