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With two tennis coaches for parents, it is perhaps unsurprising that Diego Dedura notched a piece of ATP Tour history on Wednesday in Munich.

The 17-year-old No. 549 in the PIF ATP Rankings became the first player born in 2008 or later to contest an ATP Tour match at the BMW Open by Bitpanda, where he led Denis Shapovalov 7-6(2), 3-0 when the Canadian was forced to retire due to illness. His father and full-time coach, Cesar Palomero, was courtside for his son’s first taste of tour-level action and although his mother, Ruta Deduraite, was not, the post-match celebrations soon became a whole-family affair.

“I called [my mum] two times. Just super happy,” Dedura told ATPTour.com following his match against World No. 29 Shapovalov. “She was so happy that she saw the match. My brother, I called him too, just out of joy. He was just happy for me. Getting the breakout here on German soil is just perfect.”

Born in Berlin, where he still lives and trains, Dedura showcased plenty of passion while going toe to toe with Shapovalov. His excitement was also palpable in the hours following the match, including at his first ATP Tour post-match press conference. The teenager acknowledged that, like many 17-year-olds, he can be an exuberant personality, but not all the time.

“That's actually funny. Off the court. I'm really a relaxed guy, really a chill guy, not that crazy. Just chill,” said Dedura, who will play Zizou Bergs in the Munich second round on Thursday. “If I have a tournament, always I have a bit more adrenaline and I hop around more, but if I'm outside of a tournament, I am chill and relaxed.”

Diego Dedura
Diego Dedura speaks to media after his first-round match against Denis Shapovalov in Munich. Photo Credit: BMW Open by Bitpanda

‘Chill and relaxed’ are not words Dedura would use to describe his own game style, however. Despite being born and raised in Germany, he says that the fact his father and coach Palomero hails from Chile has undoubtedly influenced the way he plays tennis and, by extension, his preferred surface.

“I am a really good fighter. I have the South American genes in my blood,” said Dedura, who speaks German, English, Spanish and Lithuanian (his mother’s native tongue). “So I think on clay, I just grind it out, just fight for every ball. Then if I win, I just get very emotional at the end.

“I know [my favourite surface] will be clay. I had my best results there. Of course, I don't play bad on hard courts too, but I just prefer clay.”

It may not be just Chilean roots that helped Dedura develop an affection for clay. His tennis idol Rafael Nadal may also have played a role, and the teenager now sometimes trains at the 14-time Roland Garros champion’s training centre in Mallorca: The Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar.

“There was one time he was in the gym, and he said hello, but he didn't know me,” said Dedura, when asked if he had met his recently retired idol at the academy. “[Maybe] now he will get to know [who I am], but most important for me is that I developed very well there with all the coaches. I have Gustavo Marcaccio, who coached Rafa. He was by my side all the time. I had very good trainers, athletic physios, everything. Just perfect for my development.”

Dedura did not hesitate when it came to listing his favourite Nadal matches, even if one of them took place three years before he was born.

“The 2005 final at Roland Garros. His first Grand Slam was just crazy,” said Dedura. “Then when he got his Australian Open title in 2022 against [Daniil] Medvedev with the crazy comeback. This guy was so good. He had so many moments, but just to pick out of them, I think his first Grand Slam, and then the Grand Slam he made against Medvedev. It's crazy what he did.”

It All Adds Up

At 17, Dedura has several opportunities to try and qualify for an event that Nadal visited last December: the 20-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. After reaching the second round in Munich, Dedura has risen 53 spots to 12th in the 2025 PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, although he is keen not to think too far ahead, too quickly.

“I don't pressure myself. I just like to keep my feet on the ground and just try to play freely,” he said. “Just have my time. Just have fun playing tennis. Be a kid who was always like a two-year-old, who is on the court having fun with this game and just work hard. If I make it, I make it. If I don't, I don't. But at the end, I just want to get up and play.”

Prior to Munich, Dedura had already competed in nine events across the ATP Challenger Tour and the ITF World Tennis Tour in 2025. Even at this very early stage of his career, he recognises the need to also find time to relax away from tennis.

“I'm a video gamer. I like FIFA. I'm a FIFA grinder,” said Dedura. “Besides that, I just watch a lot of YouTube, watch some Netflix, and I like to go out in Berlin. I love the city. It's my home, and I just go out and eat sometimes if I have the time, because as a tennis player your schedule is full. So if you have the time, it is good just to be at home, with the right people.”