Imago
Source: Instagram/Luciano Darderi
Imago
Source: Instagram/Luciano Darderi
Luciano Darderi had the time of his life at his home event during the 2026 Italian Open in Rome. However, it was something that happened before his semifinal match that drew criticism. As the Italian walked out for his semifinal encounter against Casper Ruud, he seemingly ignored the mascot girl, failing to shake her hand as is customary for players. After his match ended, the 24-year-old took the initiative and put out many fires he started, being in his “zone”.
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On Instagram, Darderi mentioned the girl by name, Camilla, and issued a profuse apology. He clarified that his actions were by no means intentional. The gravity and the tension of the match made Darderi forget to shake the girl’s hand, as he was in his zone, concentrating hard. He went on to acknowledge the role of fans and all the stakeholders in the sport and stated that he had treated them with respect in the past as well.
“I am deeply sorry for not shaking Camilla’s hand; it was an involuntary gesture that occurred during a moment of intense concentration and tension on a major stage. Anyone who truly knows me knows how much I always value the human connection with fans, as well as respect for everyone involved in this sport,” said Darderi on Instagram.
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Even though incidents involving mascot children are quite rare in tennis, there have been cases involving ball kids and chair umpires in which players have landed in hot water. Last year at Indian Wells, Iga Swiatek had a mid-match meltdown, hitting a ball toward a ball kid who narrowly missed it. Daniil Medvedev is known for his on-court outbursts against chair umpires over the years, as was Nick Kyrgios.
Despite this small non-play skirmish, Darderi thrilled the home crowd at this Italian Open, beating some high-quality opponents to reach his maiden semifinal in the Eternal City.
Luciano Darderi Defeated Three Seeded Players at the 2026 Italian Open
Darderi had been in great clay-court form coming into Rome, having won a title in Santiago and finishing runner-up in Buenos Aires. His strong form was reflected in his straight-set win over Yannick Hanfmann in the second round.
In the next round, he met his first-seeded opponent, Tommy Paul, who had reached the semifinal in Rome last year. Recovering from the first set loss, he turned around the match to win it 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. In the next match, the local favorite faced former Italian Open champion and second seed Alexander Zverev, and the German looked like he was well on his way to a straight-set win. However, in a remarkable comeback, Darderi saved multiple match points in the second set tiebreaker and then bagelled his opponent in the final set.
In the quarterfinals, Darderi faced the young Spanish sensation Rafael Jodar. The Italian went toe to toe with his opponent for over three hours, winning 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-0. However, this match seemed to drain all the energy from the 18th seed, as he could not offer any resistance against Casper Ruud in the semifinal, where the Norwegian crushed him 6-1, 6-1.
Darderi had proven clay-court credentials, reaching six finals on the surface and winning five titles. However, his best showing was at the ATP 250 level, which makes his semifinal run at a Masters 1000 event a significant milestone. It remains to be seen if he can use this surge of confidence and make a deep run at the French Open, where he has never been past the second round.
Written by
Edited by
Pranav Venkatesh