SANTA PONCA, May 26, 2026 (Media Release)
Less than four weeks before Mallorca’s grass‑court ATP tournament gets underway in Santa Ponça, the player field for the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Mallorca Championships continues to take shape. The latest player to confirm his participation is Italian Luciano Darderi.
Currently enjoying the best season of his career and competing at the highest ranking of his professional journey, Darderi arrives in Mallorca in excellent form. The Italian has firmly established himself inside the ATP top 20 and already knows the tournament well, having competed at the Mallorca Championships in 2024. His previous experience on the grass courts at the Mallorca Country Club, certified by the All England Club, provides valuable insight into the unique challenges and opportunities of the surface.
Born in Argentina and raised in Italy, Darderi shares a strong personal connection with the island. The Mediterranean surroundings, cultural proximity and language make Mallorca a place where he feels immediately at home — an element that adds extra motivation as he prepares for the grass‑court season.
“Mallorca is a place where I feel at ease from the moment I arrive,” said Darderi. “The language and the Mediterranean atmosphere make it special for me, and I’m really happy to be back at this tournament.”
Wild card for Grigor Dimitrov, returning to grass after dramatic Wimbledon exit
In addition to Darderi’s confirmation, the tournament organization announced a wild card for Grigor Dimitrov, one of the most popular and stylish players on the ATP Tour and a long‑time darling of tennis fans. Known for his elegant one‑handed backhand and all‑court game, the Bulgarian returns to grass‑court competition for the first time since the injury that forced him to retire from his match at last year’s Wimbledon Championships — a match in which he was leading Jannik Sinner 6–3, 7–5 and 2–2 before being compelled to stop.
The Vanda Pharmaceuticals Mallorca Championships will mark Dimitrov’s first grass‑court tournament since that injury, adding a compelling comeback storyline and further star power to this year’s event.
Tournament organizers expressed their satisfaction with the growing player field.“We are very proud of the line‑up we are putting together for this year’s tournament,” said Edwin Weindorfer, CEO of organizing agency e|motion group. “With top players confirming their participation and a special comeback story like Grigor Dimitrov’s, Luciano Darderi’s addition perfectly reflects the quality and character of the event. The field is taking great shape, and there are more exciting announcements to come.”
With an strong international field featuring last year’s champion Tallon Griekspoor, former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios, Spanish star Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, charismatic American Frances Tiafoe, and German standouts Yannick Hanfmann and Jan‑Lennard Struff, the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Mallorca Championships once again underline their status as a key tournament on the road to Wimbledon.
