At the ATP 500 tournament in Munich, Diego Dedura-Palomero made a remarkable entrance onto the world stage. He stunned former Top 10 player Denis Shapovalov in the first round, winning 7-6 (2), 3-0 before the Canadian retired. It was a statement victory for a teenager making his ATP main draw debut.
Dedura-Palomero had entered the tournament as a Lucky Loser after falling in the qualifying rounds to Alexander Bublik. Ranked No. 549 at the time, he seized his second chance in front of a home crowd. With this win, he is projected to climb more than 170 places in the rankings, moving to No. 376. One more win would place him inside the Top 300.
The result in Munich follows a string of milestones for Dedura-Palomero. Earlier in 2024, he became the first player born in 2008 to win a Challenger-level match. With his win over Shapovalov, he became the first player of his birth year to win a main-draw match on the ATP Tour. It’s a list that previously included names like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic.
How old is Diego Dedura-Palomero?
Diego Dedura-Palomero is 17 years old. He was born on March 12, 2008.
Diego Dedura-Palomero (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for BMW)
Where is Dedura-Palomero from?
He was born in Berlin, Germany, but has Chilean ancestry through his father and Lithuanian roots from his mother. He grew up training in Berlin and now also works with coaches in Oberhaching, Germany.
Family: Who are his parents?
Diego is the son of Cesar Palomero and Rūta Deduraitė-Palomero. Both are tennis coaches and continue to guide his career. He has an older brother, Mariano, who also plays tennis.
Height and weight: How tall is Diego Dedura-Palomero?
Dedura-Palomero stands 5-foot-10 (178 cm) and weighs approximately 170 pounds (77 kg). He is a left-handed player with a two-handed backhand.
His junior career so far
In juniors, Dedura-Palomero has claimed seven ITF singles titles and three doubles titles. He reached as high as No. 27 in the junior world rankings. His breakthrough came in early 2024, when he became the first 2008-born player to win a match on the Challenger Tour, defeating Brazil’s Daniel Dutra da Silva in Augsburg.
Who is his tennis idol?
He names Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud as his tennis idols, and calls his father his personal hero. His favorite surface is clay, his favorite shot is his forehand, and his dream tournament is Roland Garros.
How many languages can he speak?
Fluent in German, English, Spanish, and Lithuanian, Dedura-Palomero considers his multilingual skills one of his special talents, according to the his biography in the ATP Tour website.
