Italian tennis player Luca Nardi found himself entering the BNP Paribas Open main draw as a lucky loser, and to his disbelief, he drew his idol Novak Djokovic in the third round. In what turned out to be the biggest win of his career, the 20-year-old defeated the World No. 1 with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 on Monday night.

Ranked No. 123 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Nardi became the lowest-ranked player to defeat Djokovic at the ATP Masters 1000 or Grand Slam level. Additionally, he became the fourth lowest-ranked player to beat a reigning World No. 1 at a Masters 1000 event.

After securing only his fifth tour-level match win, Nardi expressed his elation, stating, “I think that before this night no one knew me. I hope that the crowd enjoyed the game. I’m super happy with this one.” His victory against Djokovic followed his first Top 50 win against Zhang Zhizhen in the second round.

Nardi displayed exceptional tennis in the first and third sets, employing an ultra-aggressive game plan and showcasing touch from the frontcourt. Djokovic, though initially off-colour, bounced back in a dominant second set. However, Nardi's fearless playstyle and big swings ultimately proved too much for the Serbian.

Reflecting on his remarkable achievement, Nardi admitted to feeling a sense of disbelief, describing the win as "crazy" and a "miracle." He sealed the career-defining victory with his sixth ace of the match, ending Djokovic's quest for a record sixth Indian Wells title.

Nardi's stunning performance has catapulted him to No. 96 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, marking his Top 100 debut. His remarkable journey continues as he faces American Tommy Paul in the next round.

For Djokovic, the loss snapped an 11-match winning streak at ATP Masters 1000 events, following his title runs in Cincinnati and Paris. Notably, it was his first loss to a player outside the Top 50 since 2018. Nardi's victory adds to a recent trend of young Italian players making waves in the tennis world, following in the footsteps of players like Jannik Sinner.

Drawing inspiration from his countryman's success, Nardi expressed his dedication to continuous improvement, stating, "I always try to do my best in practice, and this happened and I’m really happy."

Naijamatta is a social networking site,

download Naijamatta from Google play store or visit www.naijamatta.com to register. You can post, comment, do voice and video call, join and open group, go live etc. Join Naijamatta family, the Green app.