ATP Rival Aims to Break into Top 10 Amidst Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz Dominance: “They Are on Another Level”
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will be facing each other in an exhibition event in South Korea ahead of the 2026 Australian Open.
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Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/The Tennis Letter, Bastien Fachan)
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Luciano Darderi, on the back of three singles titles, has reached a career-best No.25 on the rankings table. Next year, his main goal is to become a top 10 player.
Although he knows that improvement is the key to climbing the rankings ladder, he is also well aware of the situation on the men’s tour, where no one other than Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has been dominating since the 2024 season. The top two players have won a combined 26 titles from 35 finals since 2024, sweeping away the last eight Grand Slam titles.
Tennis is currently enjoying great success in Italy and around the world. The visibility of our sport and its key players is very high. Sinner and Alcaraz are currently on another level compared to the others. But it’s a sport where anything can happen in the space of a few months. My goal is to constantly improve. I hope to break into the world’s top 10. The top 10 always makes a difference and represents an important objective. We work towards that every day, both during training and at the various tournaments on the circuit.
Luciano Darderi told Tuttosport
Darderi, after winning his career’s first singles title at the Cordoba Open, lifted the Grand Prix Hassan II this year by beating Tallon Griekspoor. He then went past Jesper De Jong at the Swedish Open and Carlos Taberner at the Croatia Open.
In Grand Slam events, the 23-year-old has never progressed beyond the third round. This year, he produced his best Major performance by reaching the third round of Wimbledon and the US Open. In the Masters 1000s as well, the Italian has yet to advance to the fourth round, reaching the third round twice, at the 2024 Italian Open and this year’s Shanghai Masters.
Juan Carlos Ferrero shares whether he will coach a youngster or an established player after split with Carlos Alcaraz
Prior to joining Carlos Alcaraz’s team as his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero worked with World No.3 Alexander Zverev, but the partnership did not last more than seven months, accusing Sascha of lacking professionalism. Following the split, the 2003 French Open champion wanted to coach someone who was “all ears and eyes to learn and improve,” and this is why he rejected an offer from a top 10 player and started to coach Alcaraz.
Now they have split, marking the end of a seven-year partnership. Following the breakup, the 45-year-old sat for an interview with Marca during which he was asked about his next plans.
It’s hard to think about, but I don’t know if I’m ready to invest all the time needed to polish another kid that young. Having been through that myself, I’d prefer a more established player. Because of the time spent at home. I’m a bit more inclined towards experienced players who are already on the tour rather than someone who needs all that work.
The only Major where Ferrero failed to guide Alcaraz to a title is the Australian Open. Alcaraz, in fact, has never reached the semifinal, losing twice in the last (in 2024 and 2025). The six-time Grand Slam champion’s goal in Melbourne will be to become the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam by breaking idol Rafael Nadal‘s record (he did it at 24).
This year, the 22-year-old lifted two Majors, at the French Open and the US Open, by defeating Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz also won six more titles, including three Masters 1000s. He finished the season at the top of the rankings table with eight titles from 11 finals (most on the ATP Tour this year).
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