Luciano Darderi etched his name in gold at the 2025 Nordea Open, defeating Dutchman Jesper De Jong in a gripping final with a 2-1 set victory (6-4, 3-6, 6-3) to claim his third ATP Tour-level title, following his triumphs in Córdoba and Marrakech. The Italian displayed consistency and power throughout the tournament, making his intentions clear from the very beginning by playing high-level tennis against some of the sport’s top-ranked names.
To secure the title, Darderi had to battle back from a nightmare start in the opening set, losing 12 consecutive points that gave De Jong a 3-0 lead. But the Italian found his rhythm and broke back twice to turn the tide at 4-3. Initially caught off guard by De Jong’s explosive start and aggressive shots, Darderi responded with deep and forceful baseline rallies that locked the Dutchman in, forcing unforced errors and rushed decisions.
Serving at his best, the current world No. 55—set to climb higher in the ATP Rankings on Monday—relied on his powerful delivery that consistently reached and exceeded 190 km/h. He won 81% of points on his first serve (38/47), compared to De Jong’s 74% (39/53), and held confidently to close out the first set 6-4.
In the second set, the 25-year-old De Jong saved an early double break point and began striking the ball with greater confidence, pushing Darderi into several key errors. At 2-2, the world No. 106 held off another break chance and used pressure on Darderi’s backhand to hold and go up 3-2. With the momentum shifting, De Jong treated the crowd to a show, including two stunning forehand winners down the line, which helped him break and take a commanding 5-3 lead. Riding that wave, he held to love and sealed the second set 6-3, setting the stage for a dramatic decider.
The final set started with both players holding serve to love—each tallying 6 aces and a nearly identical number of winners. A key unforced error at the net from De Jong helped Darderi stay alive early, despite showing signs of nerves. Once again, the Italian turned to his serve for support, firing an ace and a forehand winner off a short return.
The turning point came at 3-1, when Darderi broke De Jong with a deep return that forced a netted response from the Dutchman. From then on, De Jong looked mentally drained and struggled to land his first serves, making costly errors and hurried decisions. Darderi capitalized with smart net approaches and solid court positioning, often chasing down De Jong’s defensive efforts and finishing points with precision.
Fittingly, the No. 5 seed closed out the match with a dominant love service game, sealing the third set 6-3 and lifting the Bastad trophy. He became the sixth Italian to win a title in Bastad since the beginning of the Open Era—and the first since Fabio Fognini in 2018.
In his debut appearance at the Nordea Open, Darderi joins Carlos Alcaraz and Flavio Cobolli as the only players to win multiple ATP Tour titles during this year’s clay season. He boldly set his sights on breaking into the world’s Top 20 by the end of the season and promised to return to Bastad in 2026, praising the Swedish tennis town for its beauty and tranquility.
Bastad, Achilleas Tsakalidis
To secure the title, Darderi had to battle back from a nightmare start in the opening set, losing 12 consecutive points that gave De Jong a 3-0 lead. But the Italian found his rhythm and broke back twice to turn the tide at 4-3. Initially caught off guard by De Jong’s explosive start and aggressive shots, Darderi responded with deep and forceful baseline rallies that locked the Dutchman in, forcing unforced errors and rushed decisions.
Serving at his best, the current world No. 55—set to climb higher in the ATP Rankings on Monday—relied on his powerful delivery that consistently reached and exceeded 190 km/h. He won 81% of points on his first serve (38/47), compared to De Jong’s 74% (39/53), and held confidently to close out the first set 6-4.
In the second set, the 25-year-old De Jong saved an early double break point and began striking the ball with greater confidence, pushing Darderi into several key errors. At 2-2, the world No. 106 held off another break chance and used pressure on Darderi’s backhand to hold and go up 3-2. With the momentum shifting, De Jong treated the crowd to a show, including two stunning forehand winners down the line, which helped him break and take a commanding 5-3 lead. Riding that wave, he held to love and sealed the second set 6-3, setting the stage for a dramatic decider.
The final set started with both players holding serve to love—each tallying 6 aces and a nearly identical number of winners. A key unforced error at the net from De Jong helped Darderi stay alive early, despite showing signs of nerves. Once again, the Italian turned to his serve for support, firing an ace and a forehand winner off a short return.
The turning point came at 3-1, when Darderi broke De Jong with a deep return that forced a netted response from the Dutchman. From then on, De Jong looked mentally drained and struggled to land his first serves, making costly errors and hurried decisions. Darderi capitalized with smart net approaches and solid court positioning, often chasing down De Jong’s defensive efforts and finishing points with precision.
Fittingly, the No. 5 seed closed out the match with a dominant love service game, sealing the third set 6-3 and lifting the Bastad trophy. He became the sixth Italian to win a title in Bastad since the beginning of the Open Era—and the first since Fabio Fognini in 2018.
In his debut appearance at the Nordea Open, Darderi joins Carlos Alcaraz and Flavio Cobolli as the only players to win multiple ATP Tour titles during this year’s clay season. He boldly set his sights on breaking into the world’s Top 20 by the end of the season and promised to return to Bastad in 2026, praising the Swedish tennis town for its beauty and tranquility.
Bastad, Achilleas Tsakalidis
