Tennis upset: ‘Lucky loser’ Luca Nardi stuns Djokovic at Indian Wells

In a remarkable upset at the Indian Wells Round of 32 on Monday, March 11, Luca Nardi from Italy defeated the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic with scores of 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. At just 20 years old and ranked 123rd in the ATP, Nardi became the lowest-ranked player to ever beat the world number one Djokovic in an ATP Masters 1000 event or a Grand Slam tournament.

Nardi, who initially didn’t qualify for the tournament but entered the main draw as a replacement for the withdrawn world number 30 Tomas Martin Etcheverry, earned his place as a so-called Italian lucky loser. He advanced past the first round with a bye, then overcame China’s Zhizhen Zhang 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the Round of 64.

During the match against Djokovic, Nardi capitalized on a shaky start by Djokovic to take the first set. Although Djokovic came back to win the second set, Nardi clinched the victory in the third. Nardi outperformed Djokovic in break points, converting 3 of 11 opportunities, and won more service games.

After his victory, Nardi expressed his astonishment and hoped that his performance had made an impact on the audience. He attributed his win to what he called a miracle, emphasizing the incredulity of defeating Djokovic as a relatively unknown, 20-year-old player.

This win against Djokovic marks the second consecutive defeat for the Serbian player against an Italian, following a loss to Jannik Sinner in this year’s Australian Open semi-final. Nardi acknowledged drawing inspiration from Sinner, stating his achievements motivated him to improve. Despite not expecting a win against Djokovic, Nardi shared his commitment to giving his best in practice, which ultimately led to his remarkable victory.

Looking forward, Nardi is set to face American Tommy Paul in his next match, with a quarterfinals spot at stake.