Luciano Darderi experienced a valuable lesson while training alongside Jannik Sinner in Dubai.
He left the desert with a direct understanding of how far the highest level of tennis truly extends.
Training alongside Sinner offered no theatricsor excess words. The four-time Major winner approached each session with the same quiet intensity that has come to define his rise.
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It's a block based on relentless pace, unbreakable rhythm and an unmistakable heaviness of ball that turns routine rallies into ultimate tests of endurance, skills and stamina.
For Darderi, the difference was immediate and impossible to ignore. As world no. 26 described it, he felt like entering a spaceship that took off from Earth and landed on Mars, with Martian Sinner on board!
Every exchange required precision, balance and sustained concentration. Thus, Luciano learned from the first row how elite consistency separates the best from the rest. He also gained clarity.
The Italian wrapped up the season as world no. 26. Hitting with Jannik offered him a chance to measure himself against the sport's current benchmark. The experience sharpened Dardieri's focus.
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Seeking the standards up close helped define his next steps. The clay-court specialist will seek more discipline, more physical resilience and willingness to embrace the daily grind required to move forward.
His next ambition? To crack the top-20 in 2026 and push beyond his current ceiling. Luciano understands what that challenging path demands, and he feels ready to try everything to get there.
World no. 26 is ready for longer days on court, heavier physical loads and ultimate tests of his body and mind. Training with Jannik Sinner in Dubai provided a clearer map of how far he must travel to join the elite.
Luciano shined on clay this season, scoring almost as many wins as Alcaraz on the slowest surface and lifting three ATP trophies in Marrakech, Bastad and Umag.
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"Jannik is a guy of few words and a lot of substance - just training and hard work. The ball's weight and the consistency of the rally make the difference. I felt like I was on a spaceship that took off from Earth and landed on Mars.
Yes, Jannik is a Martian. These tests help me immensely understand what I'm missing to step up my level. In the last year, I have entered the world's top thirty. My goal in 2026 is to go further and find myself in the top-20.
It's not an obsession, but a clear direction. I know that tennis is a sport that requires enormous sacrifices; I'm fully aware of that. But I'm not the type to back down. If it means running a marathon every day to be among the best, I will do it.
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If it means climbing a mountain, I will climb it. That's my character," Luciano Darderi said.
