ALMATY/STARNBERG, October 16, 2025
Shintaro Mochizuki delivered one of the biggest wins of his career on Wednesday, upsetting fourth seed and World No. 22 Luciano Darderi to reach the quarterfinals of the Almaty Open — and, in the process, celebrating his long-awaited debut in the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings.
The 22-year-old former Junior World No. 1, who entered the main draw as the last direct acceptance, displayed remarkable composure and tactical clarity throughout the match. Breaking Darderi’s serve at key moments, Mochizuki turned the contest around to seal one of his most impressive wins on the ATP Tour. He now joins fellow Japanese players Kei Nishikori, Yoshihito Nishioka, and Taro Daniel in reaching quarterfinals at ATP Tour events in 2025.
Top 100 debut = SECURED ✅
Shintaro Mochizuki books a spot in his first ATP Tour QF since 2023 after defeating No. 4 seed Darderi 6-3 6-3! #AlmatyOpen pic.twitter.com/ZUrMa2H71R
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 16, 2025
Mochizuki walked off the court smiling — and moments later in his press conference, learned that the win carried an even bigger milestone.
“Oh, really? I didn’t know that! That’s great news,” Mochizuki said when told he had broken into the Top 100 for the first time in his career.
The victory was also his first over a Top-25 opponent in nearly two years.
“Yes, it really is,” he said. “I think it’s my first one since I beat Taylor Fritz — maybe two years ago? It’s been a while, but I love competing against these top guys. I’ve known Luciano since we were around 15 or 16 in juniors, so it was tough to play him, but I’m really happy I managed to get the win today.”
The turning point came late in the opening set, when Mochizuki broke Darderi’s serve and took control of the match.
“Yeah, at first I got broken in the fourth game, but I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong — I was just rushing a bit. I made a small adjustment, stayed patient, and things started to go my way after that. I was returning well from the beginning, and I felt that was putting a lot of pressure on his serve. I just kept doing that throughout the match, and I think that was the key.”
Now through to the last eight, Mochizuki remains grounded and focused on recovery and preparation for the next challenge.
“I’m just taking it one step at a time,” he said. “I’ll try to recover as much as possible today — I’m probably playing again tomorrow, and I know it’ll be another tough match. I just want to be ready and keep going.”
The win not only marks a personal milestone for Mochizuki but also signals the arrival of another young Japanese talent capable of making noise on the ATP Tour.
