TIGRE/STARNBERG, February 28, 2026
Diego Dedura-Palomero has been attracting attention for some time, and this week he made history at the AAT Challenger Tigre II by reaching the semifinals.
The German, who was born in Berlin to a Lithuanian mother and a Chilean father, has become the first player born in 2008 to achieve that milestone. Dedura-Palomera secured his spot in the last four of the ATP Challenger Tour clay-court event in Argentina with a 6-4, 7-6(3) victory over Juan-Pablo Varillas of Peru and will now face Spain’s Miguel Damas.
BREAKING NEW GROUND
17-year-old Diego Dedura beats Varillas 6-4, 7-6(3) in Tigre to advance to his maiden career semi-final!#ATPChallenger | @AATenis pic.twitter.com/4mQy72JQnV
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) February 27, 2026
“I feel good, but since I’m still in the tournament, I have to stay focused on tomorrow. The job isn’t done until the tournament is over. I’m taking it match by match. Of course I’m very happy with the win, but tomorrow I’ll go all in again,” Dedura-Palomero said.
“My best results have always come on clay. That’s where I have the most confidence, and I know I can beat anyone. You just have to go out there and compete. Of course you respect the guys you’re playing against, but in the end, for me it’s about winning — and I’m doing everything I can to win.”
About the difference between South American and European players on clay, the world No. 311 stated:
“In Europe, the style of play is completely different. Some guys serve huge, others go for one-two combinations. Here, you have to play a lot of rallies, you have to fight for every point and be very strong physically — even more than in Europe. The level in Europe is very good too, but here everything is different: the climate, the conditions. You have to adapt step by step.”
What can we still expect from him this week? “We’re one match away, but I’m not thinking about celebrating on Sunday. First comes tomorrow — then we’ll see,” he said.
