He is considered a great tennis talent and is already enjoying success among adults. Diego Dedura-Palomero is 16 years old and number one in the world in his age group. Germany can hope for a new Alexander Zverev.
As a little boy, Diego Dedura-Palomero (16) saw Rafael Nadal (38) on television and from then on wanted to be like him. “I got a headband like the one he wears and tried to imitate his forehand shots,” says the Berliner, who, like the Spaniard, is left-handed. “I still learn things from Nadal, especially how to behave on and off the court.”
The road to success for the 22-time Grand Slam tournament winner, who will end his career after the Davis Cup final in November in Malaga, is long. But the teenager with the blonde streaks has everything it takes to become a successful tennis professional – he is one of the greatest German tennis talents and is number 1 in the world rankings among 16-year-olds. The new Alexander Zverev (27) is in sight.
There are some parallels to the Olympic champion in Tokyo 2021. As with Zverev, Diego’s parents came to Germany from abroad and work here as tennis teachers. The father comes from Chile, the mother from Lithuania. They gave their son a tennis racket for the first time when he was three years old. Father Cesar is still Diego’s trainer. A frequent training partner is his brother Mariano, who is two years older than him – just like Alexander Zverev’s brother Mischa was.
Dedura-Palomero met the world number three in person for the first time in July at Rothenbaum in Hamburg. Zverev played in the ATP tournament and fought for the European Championship title with the U16 national team. “We were in the same cabin, said hello and he asked me how we were doing in the race,” says Dedura-Palomero. It’s quite possible that the two’s paths will soon cross more often.
Despite being 16 years old, Dedura-Palomero hardly plays in youth tournaments anymore, but instead competes in smaller adult tournaments, the so-called Future and Challenger tournaments. “I try to make it to the top as early as possible,” he says. “That’s why it’s important to compete with the older guys.”
Dedura-Palomero made his first statement at the Swabian Open in Augsburg in May. In qualifying he beat 21-year-old Czech Martin Krumich, number 406 in the world rankings. In the first round of the main draw he defeated 36-year-old Brazilian Daniel Dutra da Silva, number 339 in the world.
“At first I had a lot of respect for the older guys, but then I saw that they were beatable,” says Dedura-Palomero. “My dream is to be number 1 in the world one day.” He is currently ranked 759th.
Dedura-Palomero needs to grow, including physically
The marketing agency IMG, which has already looked after world stars such as John McEnroe (65) and Pete Sampras (53) and represents current stars such as Carlos Alcaraz (21) and Holger Rune (21), believes in his great potential and took him on two years ago Contract. “Diego is an incredible fighter, hard worker and overwhelms his opponents with his high intensity,” says sports agent Mats Merkel. “His forehand is powerful. He is also very clear-headed and wants to improve every day. He has a clear goal in mind.”
Dedura-Palomero confirms this: “I’m not interested in disco, alcohol and all those things. All I want to do is play tennis.”
He has had his secondary school certificate since July (average grade 3.3). “Now I can concentrate fully on tennis,” he says. Every day, when he is not on a tournament tour with his parents, he spends four to five hours on the tennis court at TC SCC Berlin. There is also three quarters of an hour of strength training. He also trains regularly at the DTB base in Oberhaching. Most recently he spent ten weeks at the Nadal Academy in Mallorca.
At 16 years old, Dedura-Palomero weighs 77 kilos and is 1.78 meters tall. “The weight is right, my strength training is paying off,” he says. “But I hope that a few more centimeters will be added. At least 1.80 meters would be nice. That would especially help with your serve.”
Junior national coach Philipp Petzschner (40) is enthusiastic: “Diego is a good boy and wants to get better every day. He has great potential. His baseline game is outstanding. He can still improve on his serve. To become a good server, you don’t necessarily have to be 1.90 meters tall. Agassi was only 1.80 meters tall and served well and precisely. As a left-handed player, Diego can serve very poisonously anyway.”
Dedura-Palomero doesn’t just have role models in tennis. “I admire NBA player Stephen Curry and golfer Tiger Woods because they have this incredible winning mentality,” he says. “I was also glued to the television with the swimmer Léon Marchand during the Olympics.” His big wish: “One day I would like to be at the Olympics too.”
The article was written for the Sports Competence Center (WELT, SPORT PICTURE, BILD) written and first published in SPORT BILD.
