Federer fan Hardt, the Dominican dreaming in Barcelona

Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell

A dream two weeks for Nick Hardt hit new heights Monday at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.

The 23-year-old rallied past fast-rising #NextGenATP home favourite Martin Landaluce to triumph on his ATP Tour main-draw debut. With his first-round victory in Barcelona coming just eight days after Hardt won his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in the same city, it has turned into quite a fortnight in Catalonia for the No. 1 Dominican in the PIF ATP Rankings.

“It was a crazy day, obviously a very special day,” Hardt told ATPTour.com after his 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory against Landaluce. “I feel at home here in Barcelona. Two weeks ago I won my first Challenger here, this week I qualified for my first ATP 500 and I just won my first Tour match in the main draw.

“I just have a special connection here with the crowd, with the Spanish crowd. I was also really happy with the Dominican crowd that came to support me today. Just really happy to go through to the second round.”

Hardt work pays off 🙃🇩🇴

Qualifier Nick Hardt toasts his 1st ATP Tour win after going the distance with Landaluce@bcnopenbs | #BCNOpenBS pic.twitter.com/A2FUk2c8tJ

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 15, 2024

The Dominican Republic may not be renowned for its tennis, but Hardt had an early introduction to the sport growing up in the baseball-mad island nation.

“I started playing tennis when I was three years old, because my dad had a little tennis club back home,” said Hardt. “I was watching him play with his friends all day, and one day I tried playing with him. Since then, I just fell in love with the sport.

“My idol was Roger Federer always. I just loved the way he played tennis. He just made it look so easy, so elegant on the court. He was just my idol. And of course, Rafa [Nadal], because of the hard work he puts in every day. He never gives up and it's a big inspiration for me.”

As a young tennis player in the Dominican Republic, Hardt was fortunate to have a countryman excelling on the ATP Tour to look up to. Victor Estrella Burgos retired in 2022 as a three-time tour-level singles champion.

“I actually played doubles with him in his last match in his career, back in Santo Domingo,” said Hardt, recalling when he teamed with Estrella Burgos for the Dominican Republic in a 2022 Davis Cup tie. “He's a big idol, for myself and, of course, for the history of tennis."

Estrella Burgos is the top-ranked Dominican in PIF ATP Rankings history, having reached a career-high No. 43. He achieved much of his success later in his career, only making his ATP Tour debut aged 27, entering the Top 100 aged 33 and winning his first of three tour-level titles in Quito aged 34. By beating Landaluce on Monday, Hardt became the first Dominican to win an ATP Tour match since Estrella Burgos’ final victory in 2018.

“Definitely it's a big inspiration for me, the way he just gives everything, such a big heart, coming from nowhere," said Hardt. "I’m good friends with him. He gives me very good advice, so I’m really grateful for all the talks and all the advice he gives me.”

Hardt, who is also a big fan of soccer and particularly German giants Bayern Munich, will now take on 13th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Tuesday having risen 30 spots to No. 199 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. So which aspects of his games should fans particularly look out for when he takes on the World No. 30 in the second round?

“I would say I am very aggressive with my forehand,” said Hardt. “I also like to do a lot of drop shots, for a little bit of variety, but definitely aggressive.”