Nardi’s Perfect Day: Motorcycles and Football | ATP Tour

Luca Nardi appeared in the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings after a great season on the ATP Challenger Tour. In addition to winning two Challenger titles this year in Portugal and Japan, the Italian also achieved his first victory in the main draw of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in April after qualifying.

But do you know what this 20-year-old player likes to do off the court? ATPTour.com discovers with the world No. 115 in Jeddah his passion for motorcycles, football and much more…

If you could have dinner with three celebrities, who would they be and why?
Valentino Rossi. He is from my city. I’m from Pesaro, so it would probably be Vale. Then, Roger Federer. I am a tennis player and I like everything about Federer. And I don’t know, maybe with a model? I couldn’t say which one.

Describe your perfect day if you weren’t a tennis player…
I have a motorcycle, and as I said before, I am from the same city as Valentino, so my whole family has a motorcycle and it is a culture in our city to have it. So I would go riding for a few hours in the morning and maybe in the afternoon, I would like to play paddle tennis. Of course, paddle tennis and soccer with my friends because I love watching soccer and I always try to pay attention to what’s happening in Italian soccer, that would be my perfect day.

What soccer team are you from?
From Naples, because my father is from Naples.

They won the league last year, right?
Yes, it was a great moment! It was the third time in history.

If you had to choose between attending a concert or a sporting event, which would you choose and why?
A sporting event… football. In my city, basketball is more famous because we have a team in the first division. But honestly, I don’t like it that much. So I would say a football game.

Who are your closest players in Jeddah and your best friends on tour?
I’ve known these guys since we were little, so we know each other well. I have a good relationship with Flavio [Cobolli]. Like I said, I’ve known him since I was eight years old. We are good friends.

But if I have to say another Italian player it would be Francesco Maestrelli. He’s not here, but I have a very good relationship with him. I was at the Academy with him.

If you weren’t a tennis player, what job would you like to have?
Honestly, I’ve never thought about it because I’ve always played tennis. I don’t know why, but I like physical therapy. I don’t know why, but I like it.

Like every year at the Next Gen ATP Finals, the tournament will debut many rules and new features. What do you think? Is there one that interests you more?
The most innovative is that there is no heating. Of course, we’re all excited to see how it goes. And honestly, I don’t like it very much because I’m not the type of player who starts games very well. So I have to warm up before a game very well. But I don’t know, we’ll see what happens. Maybe you’ll enjoy it.

What is the most important thing you learned competing on the ATP Challenger Tour and ATP Tour this year, after qualifying for Jeddah?
Honestly, I would say I haven’t had a good year. Maybe in the last month yes, but throughout the year I have had ups and downs. I was injured for two months and it didn’t help me.

Without a doubt, the biggest lesson I learned this year in every game is that you have to play at 100%. There is no game in which you can go out on the court relaxed. In every match, whether Challenger Tour or ATP Tour, you have to be 100% focused on each point.