A historic victory took place March 11 at Indian Wells 2024. But the winner was not anyone fans were expecting.
Rising Italian star Luca Nardi defeated Novak Djokovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the third round of the Indian Wells Open in Indian Wells, California.
Djokovic called his performance “really, really bad” while acknowledging Nardi’s effort.
“I was more surprised with my level. My level was really, really bad,” he said after the match. “I helped him play well, and I didn’t help myself at all. I made some really terrible unforced errors and just [played] quite defensive tennis.”
At just 20 years old, Nardi, ranked No. 123 going into the tournament, is now officially the lowest-ranked player ever to conquer Djokovic at a Masters 1000 or Grand Slam event, Tennis.com.
Luca Nardi Reflects on His Epic Triumph
The young Italian’s journey to this historic triumph began just two days earlier when he notched his first Top 50 win against Zhang Zhizhen of China.
After beating Djokovic, Nardi told reporters: “I never beat a Top 50. Now I also beat Zhang in the first round and now Djokovic. I don’t know what to say about it.”
Nardi discussed his self-doubt. “Before the match, I spoke to my coach and I said, ‘I don’t want to lose 6-1, 6-1,’” he said.
But Nardi didn’t let Djokovic’s stature get to him. Instead, he displayed nerves of steel against the world’s No. 1 player. “I think I started good, and I realized that during the rally I was feeling good,” Nardi said. “I grew up watching [Djokovic] play, so I watched his matches for, like, 10 years. I think that the only one advantage that I had was that he didn’t see me ever play.”
Even though Nardi gained confidence as the match went on, the young rising star still expressed his disbelief and described the victory as a “miracle” in his on-court interview.
“I think this is a miracle because I’m a 20-year-old guy, 100 in the world and beating Novak. So crazy, crazy,” Nardi told BNP Paribas reporters.
“I think that, before this night, no one knew me,” Nardi continued “I hope that now the crowd enjoyed the game and I’m super happy with this one.”
As historic as the win was, it was meaningful for Nardi, too. He said he grew up watching Djokovic, telling reporters that he had a poster of Novak on his bedroom door.
“Every time I go to bed, I see Novak,” Nardi said. “It’s an amazing feeling. I couldn’t even imagine to play a match against him and now I also beat him, so it’s such a dream come true for me.”
Novak Djokovic’s Loss Prolongs His No-Title Season
Novak had a chance to break Roger Federer’s record for most Indian Wells Open titles (5) and previously held a 50-9 record at the tournament. Now, his loss to world No. 123 Nardi has left Djokovic without a title for the 2024 season.
“No titles this year. That is not something I’m used to. I was starting the season most of my career with a grand slam win or Dubai win or any other tournament, but it’s fine. It’s part of the sport, you just have to accept it. Some you win; some you lose. Hopefully I’ll win some more and still keep going,” Djokovic said in his post-match press conference.
Moving forward, Djokovic said he planned to learn from this loss and simply move on. “I’m going to obviously analyze what was done and what could have been done better and then move on.”
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Indian Wells 2024: Djokovic’s ‘Really, Really Bad’ Play Gives Nardi Historic Win