Luciano Darderi has now achieved something that not even Jannik Sinner has managed in 2026
Luciano Darderi surged into the quarter finals of the Canadian Open by defeating Nuno Borges in three sets in Montreal.
The Italian continued his superb performances in 2026 by beating the Portuguese star 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 to set up a last eight meeting with Brandon Nakashima.
Darderi has beaten Gabriel Diallo, Jerry Shang, and now Borges at the Masters event and he currently sits inside the top 2o of the ATP Tour rankings.
His appearance in the quarter finals of the Montreal event has seen him achieve a feat that no other ATP player has managed in the 2026 season.
By making the quarter finals of the Canadian Open, Darderi has now reached the last eight of a tournament on 10 occasions in the first eight months of the season.
He is the first player to achieve the feat, which is very impressive considering the dominant performances of the likes of Jannik Sinner, Rafael Jodar, and Alexander Zverev this season.
Quarter finals reached by Luciano Darderi in 2026
- Auckland Open
- Buenos Aires
- Santiago
- Marrakech
- Italian Open
- Hamburg Open
- Mallorca Open
- Bastad
- Estoril
While many of Darderi’s quarter final appearances have come at ATP 250 events this season, it shows the star is hitting a real level of consistency in his game.
The Italian has also reached the quarter finals of two Masters level events now this year, at the Italian Open and the Canadian Open, so he is proving he can cut it with the big boys of the ATP Tour.
World No 1 Sinner has managed eight quarter finals or more in the 2026 season. Despite being selective about his tournaments, it’s still an impressive feat for Darderi.
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The next achievement on Darderi’s agenda will surely be to claim one of the bigger ATP titles on the circuit. The star has won the Chile Open and reached the final of the Bastad Open this year, but he will be hoping to have a deeper run at a larger tournament.
Darderi has a pretty huge opportunity to do just that at the Canadian Open, with so many of the top stars already out of the competition.
The Italian was boosted by the lack of involvement from Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner, and Novak Djokovic, but the draw has also been in his favour.
Zverev, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, and Daniil Medvedev have all suffered early exits at the Masters events, leaving Ben Shelton as the top seed.
Darderi will fancy his chances against Nakashima to earn his first semi final appearance at a Masters event, and then he will play either Arthur Fils or Rafael Jodar for a chance in the final.
The Canadian Open could be a coming of age for Darderi if he continues his top form at the Masters event.
