Dedura-Palomero: "L'herbe est pour les joueurs de golf"

Diego Dedura-Palomero is one of the young pearls of the ATP circuit. At just 18 years old, the German tennis player with Chilean roots is making giant strides on the circuit and has appeared on the 'Raquetas y Palas' podcast to highlight his mid-term goals on the circuit, as well as the role of his father as a coach.

Literally, Dedura-Palomero has covered all bases in this interview, making it clear that he doesn't hold back his opinions. A different strong-willed character who is gradually shaping himself to aim for the top of the ATP circuit in a few years, being one of the mainstays of a generation destined to disrupt the plans of the big fish if they stay on the right path. Slowly but surely.

"On the court, I'm a fighter, someone who wants to win 100%. Off the court, I'm a very boring person. I'm very messy, I like to stay calm... Because in tennis, you expend a lot. On the court, I have a lot of adrenaline, but outside, I like to do everything in peace. I don't enjoy celebrating much, like boys aged 18 to 22 who drink a lot, I don't like those things much," he confesses.

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Dedura Palomero talks about the role of his parents in his career

The German tennis player, who speaks perfect Spanish due to his heritage, also mentioned his media growth in recent months. "Social media always pushes you, and you also play with much more pressure. I gained a lot of experience playing as a pro. For example, last year was my first full year on tour. My mindset is maturing a lot, I'm improving more and more in difficult situations. Defeats are more important to me than victories. Because that's when you listen more to the coaches. After the defeats, your ego diminishes a bit."

Surprisingly, Diego didn't choose tennis; it was his father who guided him down that path from a young age. "Playing tennis was not really my decision, because my dad had me training at three years old. There was a moment when it became so professional that I said, well, I have to walk this path and I'm going to put everything on the line. I did my whole journey with my parents, with my mom too, who is also a coach. Thanks to them, I didn't always have to make decisions alone. They always helped me during that time, for example, with contracts. It's important to have someone by your side who wants the best for you."

His father also serves as a coach, a key element in his development. "My father and I always talk because I don't like being told many things when the match is tense, I like to be calm and have a clear mind. Sometimes a comment comes, and I tell him to be quiet. With my dad, I can do those things, but with another coach who is above you, you couldn't say those things. Nevertheless, it's very difficult to see my father as a coach, but I said I have to accept that, and I think it's going more or less well."

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Dedura-Palomero shares his views on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

He also highlighted the flip side of tennis, the one that is not visible. "It's a very individual sport. Everyone has their team and is with them all the time, especially the best players. The players who are the most selfish, because everything you do is for yourself, and that's why it's a difficult sport. It always helps to talk to people, friends, and I always try to call certain people. It's easier when you win because everyone calls you, but when people lose, you always have your family behind you pushing you again."

Regarding the current level of the circuit, Dedura pointed out the two current dominators, and the future heirs to the throne. "Alcaraz and Sinner are the best and are very difficult to beat because they are geniuses. They are different players, they are legends. I also really like Jack Draper and Lorenzo Musetti. I think those two could beat Alcaraz or Sinner sometimes. Not all the time because that won't happen, but sometimes. From my generation, I think Kouamé will reach high levels, he has been playing very well and has many qualities to rise. There are many guys coming up, like Budkov Kjaer or Sakamoto or Cinà."

Dedura talks about his short and medium-term goals

As for his future, he prefers not to set many expectations for himself. "You can't control the ranking or how you play. The only thing you can control is your mindset on the court, how hard you work. If I drop in the rankings, it's because I played against a good player, and he beat me, I can't control that. But how I continue or how I think after the matches, that I can change. Then I play a good week, and I have those points back.

I think that's the most important thing in tennis, always keep going, you can't give up because you had a bad week. At some point, you will have a breakthrough, and I had a bit of a breakthrough now. You have to keep working. My big goal is to play in the Grand Slams, although probably not on grass because I don't like it much. Grass is for golf players, not for tennis players. I want to play the US Open, and then get into the Next Game, which is the biggest goal because let's be honest, there is a lot of money at stake there, and it's important for my career."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Dedura-Palomero: "La hierba es para jugadores de golf"