World No123 Luca Nardi stunned Novak Djokovic, the player he idolised growing up, to knock the world No1 out in the third round in Indian Wells.
Nardi grew up with posters of Djokovic scattered over his bedroom walls but the 20-year-old, who only qualified for the tournament as a lucky loser after another player withdrawal, produced the performance of his life to beat Djokovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
In the process, he became the lowest-ranked player to ever defeat Djokovic at either grand slam or ATP Masters 1000 level.
Afterwards, the Italian said: “It’s crazy. I don’t know, I think it is a miracle, because I am a 20-year-old guy, and beating Novak.
“I couldn’t even imagine to play a match against him and now I also beat him. It’s such a dream come true for me. After the match, my coaches told me, ‘Luca, everyone was cheering for you’. Incredible, against Djokovic, he’s the best player ever. I will keep it, this moment, for the rest of my life.”
Nardi was the aggressor from the outset, hitting 34 winners in all and refusing to crumble as Djokovic overturned a first-set deficit to force a decider.
It means Djokovic has yet to win a title in 2024, something of a rarity for the long time dominant force of the men’s game.
Following his defeat, he said: “No titles this year. That’s not something I’m used to. I was starting the season most of my career with a grand slam or Dubai win. 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. I guess every trophy that eventually comes my way is going to be great, to break the kind of negative cycle a little bit I’m having in the last three, four tournaments where I haven’t really been close to my best.”
