Luciano Darderi hopes his spiritual connection with Diego Maradona can fuel another stirring run at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome this week — with a familiar anthem as his soundtrack.
“Live Is Life,” Darderi said to ATPTour.com, referencing the iconic warm-up scene of Maradona juggling to the hit song. “I listen to it before my matches, sometimes on my phone, sometimes [through] headphones, because it gives me a lot of energy.
“I saw that when he warmed up before, he played that song. That gives me energy.”
Born in Argentina and raised in Italy, Darderi has always felt inspired by the footballing legend. It’s a connection that deepened during his time playing club tennis in Naples, where the presence of the Napoli star, Maradona, still pulses through every street.
"Every weekend I was there," said Darderi. "I loved it, with all my friends."
Darderi fell to eight defeats in his opening 10 tour-level matches to start the 2025 season, and subsequently competed in an ATP Challenger Tour event to build some rhythm. Fittingly, it was the Napoli Tennis Cup, offering not just match practice, but a mental reset.
By surging to the final, Darderi’s return to the city that helped shape his journey proved to be a catalyst for his year. Rejuvenated, the 23-year-old Italian rode that momentum straight to Marrakech, where he lifted his second ATP Tour trophy.
“I was looking to him when I was younger, I was watching his videos,” Darderi said of Maradona. “He was a legend playing football. I went to the stadium and they gave me a No. 10 shirt with my name on it. It was really something special. It was my first time in the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
“I went to the Challenger to take a little bit of confidence, making the final. It was really nice to be back, but then I won an ATP title.”
Watch Darderi claim the Marrakech title
The No. 46 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Darderi arrives in Rome having won 12 of his previous 16 matches across all levels. While he jovially claims that his surge in form is based on his return to clay, his preferred surface, it may also be attributed to his return to Naples.
Now in the capital, Rome is another Italian city that already holds special memories for Darderi, who last year produced his personal best run at an ATP Masters 1000 event. He reached the third round before falling to the eventual champion Alexander Zverev.
“I love Rome, the atmosphere here is something amazing," Darderi added. "There are a lot of people, and the Italian players love it.
“I was living in Rome for two years when I was younger, watching these matches. I remember I came to watch Zverev when I was 14, and playing last year against him on the centre court was something so special for me. I will try to do my best this year.”
With Maradona’s spirit in his heart, and Live Is Life in his ears, Darderi aims for further success in Rome, where he faces Buyunchaokete in the first round on Wednesday, their maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash.
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