World No. 123 Luca Nardi showcased a blend of composure and strength as he surprised his childhood hero and top-seeded Novak Djokovic with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory on Monday night in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Nardi sealed his nigh impossible upset against the top-ranked player with an ace. The 20-year-old Italian dropped his racket, bringing his hands to his face in almost disbelief before exchanging greetings with Djokovic at the net.
“I think before this night no one knew me. I hope now the crowd enjoyed the game. I’m super happy with this one,” said Nardi in a post-match interview via The Tennis Letter X account.
How Luca Nardi upset Novak Djokovic
Nardi took control early on with his heavy-handed shots, causing Djokovic constant frustration throughout the game. At one point, Nardi reacted to what he believed was a successful call by casually returning the ball, resulting in a winner, leading Djokovic to voice his annoyance to the official about a potential interference.
The Italian secured the monumental win with his sixth ace of the match, denying the five-time champion his pursuit for a record sixth Indian Wells title. In the final set, he delivered 16 winners compared to Djokovic's two, showcasing supreme dominance as he pulled away down the stretch.
Before the match, Novak Djokovic boasted 1,095 ATP Tour singles victories, while Nardi had only secured four. However, Nardi's consistent winners, crucial serves, and a final ace secured him a win for the history books.
While Djokovic boasts an impressive 24 Grand Slam titles and five victories at Indian Wells, Nardi had never even participated in the BNP Paribas Open. Despite this vast difference in experience and accolades, Nardi achieved a historic feat by becoming the lowest-ranked player ever to defeat Djokovic in a Masters 1000 or Grand Slam tournament.
Nardi suffered a defeat in the qualifying round of the tournament against David Goffin less than a week ago. However, his fortunes quickly changed when he was given a second chance as a “lucky loser” following Tomas Etcheverry's withdrawal due to a hamstring strain. Nardi seized this opportunity and won his first match against Zhizhen Zhang with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, earning him the chance to face Djokovic.
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