Djokovic is down! Djokovic is down!
Top seed Novak Djokovic has been someone I’ve admired since I was a child. Luca NardiAnd on Monday night, Nardi used his power and poise to shock one of tennis’ greatest players. 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 He won in the third round of the Indian Wells Open. Yes, you read that correctly…this came in the third round.
Nardi, who was ranked far behind in the world at 123rd place, pulled off a huge upset over world No. 1 Djokovic with an ace. Dropping his racket, the 20-year-old Italian put his hands over his face and appeared stunned, before heading off to meet Djokovic in the center of the court. (Related article: Unnecessary Hype: ‘The Next Great Thing’ Victor Wembaneyama Is Perfectly Posted by Trayce Jackson-Davis)
“This is a miracle,” Nardi said in an interview with Tennis Channel after the match, according to ESPN. “I’m a 20-year-old guy, 100 years old in the world, and I’m beating Novak. It’s crazy. Crazy.”
What’s even more interesting is that Nardi narrowly missed the tournament and qualified as a “lucky loser” (a player who takes the place of an injured opponent). Nardi came on as a substitute for jersey number 30. thomas martin etchbery.
Nardi is now the lowest-ranked player to beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam or ATP Masters 1000 event, with the previous record held by No. 122. kevin anderson He defeated Djokovic in Miami in 2008.
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It’s hard to explain this in words 😊
A day after leaving the scene, lucky loser Luca Nardi pulled off one of the most improbable upsets in recent history by defeating Djokovic at Indian Wells!#tennisparadise pic.twitter.com/x6gqnZQOoB
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 12, 2024
Check out Nardi’s beautiful play leading up to his victory over Djokovic.
Luca Nardi
Not a bad way to earn points from your idol on the biggest stage of your career so far 😀@bnparibasopen pic.twitter.com/eRab97iO19
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 12, 2024
I just won’t go back🚫
Luca Nardi showed off his backhand in the early stages of the deciding set!@bnparibasopen pic.twitter.com/DuPNOBTfIk
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 12, 2024
Quality 🙌 pic.twitter.com/swK3vuKJOP
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 12, 2024
Great level from Luca Nardi tonight! 🤯#tennisparadise pic.twitter.com/uKipiXnWNt
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 12, 2024
Nardi also made further history in the victory.
Luca Nardi joins the exclusive list tonight! 👏 pic.twitter.com/myb78MovpD
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 12, 2024
And like any high-profile match, this one came with some drama, with Djokovic complaining to officials about calls for interference. Wow, there were real sparks in this match!
“He literally stopped” 🤯
The moment of heated debate between Novak Djokovic and Luca Nardi…#tennisparadise pic.twitter.com/AlVndqqBZM
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 12, 2024
An incredible match, an incredible result, the magic of tennis, baby.
