Tennis: the young Nardi at the Montecarlo scoreboard

The qualifications of the Masters 1000 in Montecarlo passed after recovering a 5-1 deficit in the third set, against the German Oscar Otte. A generous draw (Valentin Vacherot, Monegasque wild card, 350th Atp) and a draw that could offer Musetti and then, perhaps, who knows, Novak Djokovic. Luca Nardi has grown up and now it can’t even be said that the 19-year-old from Pesaro is living a dream. He is simply living his reality, the one that many have been predicting for some years. In May 2022 in Rome, he took the chance of a wild card after Lorenzo Musetti’s forfeit, but this time the satisfaction is different. “I am proud – explains the Marches – to have entered with my own strength. I’ve also had ups and downs in these two matches that I won, and unfortunately it’s a problem I live with. But I’m working on it and I’ve already improved. Against Otte, for how I brought the match home, for the opponent he was and for the tournament, it’s one of the best victories of my career. Vacherot? Let’s just say that the draw could have been worse.”

BOARD

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Now the main draw, this first main draw earned in a 1000, offers matches full of suggestion. A possible second round with Musetti, a possible third even with Novak Djokovic. “Calm. The first one will already be hard for me. I know Lorenzo well, we are friends but we never talk about tennis. For me he is still on another planet, he is an example of professionalism. Like Sinner. They are an inspiration. I’m still learning to be a professional, and I’ve only started playing seriously a couple of years ago. I’m not just talking about the pitch, but also about what happens off it: nutrition, pace of life, everything”.

FEW YEARS AGO

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And to think that a few years ago it all seemed over: “I can’t deny that it was hard for me to find the rhythm in my work, the constancy in going on the pitch every day and always giving my best. It’s the hardest part. But then you get to places like this, you qualify, you look around you and you think: what more could you want? But a few years ago I wanted to quit, I didn’t enjoy it anymore. I have to say thanks to mum Raffaella and dad Dario, if I’m a tennis player who almost made it: they convinced me to go on day by day. Until that hard period is over”. And now the fun begins.