Luciano Darderi issued a public apology after overlooking a young mascot girl before his Italian Open semifinal in Rome. The 24-year-old Italian cited intense focus and match tension as the cause of the unintended slight.
Darderi walked past mascot Camilla without a handshake or glance as he entered the court for his semifinal against Casper Ruud. The moment drew online criticism for appearing arrogant, especially after Ruud greeted his own escorts warmly. Later that day Darderi posted on Instagram to clarify the incident and express regret directly to the girl by name.