USA Novak Djokovic's loss to world number 123 Luca Nardi is listed as one of the most shocking defeats in tennis history.
Tennis TV, the copyright holder of the BNP Paribas Open, included the caption "Is this the most shocking defeat in tennis history?" when posting a video of the match between Novak Djokovic and Luca Nardi in the third round of the Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells on March 11.
Djokovic (right) congratulates his junior Nardi after the match on Center Court in Indian Wells, USA on March 11. Photo: Reuters
Djokovic entered the match as the world number one, a record five-time champion, but lost 4-6, 6-3, 3-6 to his lucky draw opponent. Nardi had never played in the main draw of a Grand Slam or the BNP Paribas Open before. The Italian had played just 16 ATP Tour matches and was not ranked in the world's top 100.
"This is definitely the most shocking defeat at a Masters 1000 tournament," Tennis365 commented. The site rated Djokovic's loss as surprising as when Thanasi Kokkinakis defeated Roger Federer at the Miami Open in 2018, or Vasek Popisil defeated Andy Murray at the BNP Paribas Open in 2017.
"Two things happened today: He played great, and I played really bad," Djokovic explained his defeat at a press conference on March 11 in Indian Wells. The 40-time Masters 1000 champion admitted he was surprised by his performance. "It's not the standard I normally play at," Nole said.
Djokovic has been in poor form since his opening match against Aleksandra Vukic in the second round. He has missed a lot of shots, served poorly and lost his usual sharpness. He played similarly against Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semi-finals earlier this year. The long break after the Grand Slam in Melbourne has not helped the 36-year-old regain his form.
Djokovic will remain world number one until at least April, having not defended points at the two Masters 1000 tournaments in the US this month. The Serbian has 10 days off before the Miami Open, as his juniors gain confidence against him.
Vy Anh
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