Novak Djokovic acknowledges having a “really bad day” at the office during his loss to Luca Nardi at the Indian Wells Open. Despite his own struggles, Djokovic pays tribute to the world No. 123, recognizing Nardi’s deserving victory in their match.
Luca Nardi’s victory over his idol Djokovic, with a scoreline of 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, goes down as one of the biggest upsets in recent tennis history. As a lucky loser, Nardi secured the biggest win of his career, becoming the fourth lowest-ranked player to defeat the world No. 1 at an ATP Masters 1000 tournament. A remarkable achievement for the rising Italian.
In his first match since the Australian Open semi-final against Jannik Sinner, Djokovic faced challenges as the 20-year-old Italian, Luca Nardi, capitalized on his booming forehand to deliver multiple winners, contributing to Djokovic’s sluggish performance.
In the early stages, it appeared to be a straightforward match for the 24-time Grand Slam winner, breaking in game five of the opening set and taking a 2-0 lead in the second set. However, Nardi displayed resilience, breaking back immediately and securing a second break in game six, disrupting Djokovic’s early dominance.
The decisive break occurred in game six of the decider, paving the way for Nardi to secure the victory. He sealed the match on his first match point three games later, setting up a fourth-round clash against Tommy Paul. A significant achievement for the young Italian in advancing to the next round.
Novak Djokovic acknowledged Luca Nardi’s deserving win, stating, “He really didn’t have anything to lose, so he played great. Deserved to win. I was more surprised with my level. My level was really, really bad. These two things come together. He’s having a great day, I’m having a really bad day.” Djokovic reflected on both players’ performances during the match.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4ZyJovO5E_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkDjokovic reflected on his performance, stating, “I made some really terrible unforced errors. Just quite defensive tennis and not much on the ball in the third, and that’s it. He just stepped in and he used the time that he had.” The Serbian acknowledged his own shortcomings during the match.
Djokovic emphasized, “I made some really terrible unforced errors. Just quite defensive tennis and not much on the ball in the third, and that’s it. He just stepped in and he used the time that he had.” Reflecting on his performance, Djokovic highlighted areas where he fell short during the match.
Djokovic observed, “He was playing more free and more aggressive than I did, and going for his shots and that break on 3-2 in the third was enough.” Despite participating in only two tournaments in 2024, the Australian Open and Indian Wells, Djokovic has yet to secure a trophy, holding a 7-3 record for the year..
Djokovic highlighted Nardi’s more aggressive play, stating, “He was playing more free and more aggressive than I did, and going for his shots and that break on 3-2 in the third was enough.” Despite participating in two tournaments this year – the Australian Open and Indian Wells – Djokovic has yet to secure a trophy in 2024, maintaining a 7-3 record.
Despite the loss, Djokovic is guaranteed to maintain his No. 1 position in the ATP Rankings until at least April 15, marking 420 weeks at the top. His next appearance is scheduled for the Miami Open, set to begin next week.
Despite the setback, Djokovic is set to retain his No. 1 spot in the ATP Rankings until at least April 15, extending his reign to 420 weeks. His next tournament appearance is scheduled for the Miami Open, commencing next week.