March 12, (THEWILL)- A stunning upset unfolded at the ATP-WTA Indian Wells Masters 2024, where top seed Novak Djokovic was eliminated in the third round by lowly-ranked Italian Luca Nardi. The world number one struggled to find his rhythm, eventually succumbing to Nardi’s superb performance in a three-set thriller, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Nardi, currently ranked 123rd in the world, played remarkably well, becoming only the sixth player outside the Top 100 to defeat a world number one at the Masters level since 1990. The Italian’s victory sent shockwaves through the tennis world, as Djokovic’s return to Indian Wells ended abruptly.
The loss marked another disappointing result for Djokovic against Italian opponents. In his last seven matches against Italian players, the Serbian star has now lost five times, including three losses to the fourth-ranked Jannik Sinner. Djokovic’s struggles against Italian players have been a notable trend in recent months.
Nardi’s triumph over Djokovic is undoubtedly the biggest win of his career thus far. The 20-year-old Italian demonstrated exceptional composure and skill, capitalising on Djokovic’s uncharacteristic errors and lapses in concentration throughout the match.
As the tennis world reels from this major upset, questions will inevitably arise about Djokovic’s form and preparation leading into the upcoming clay-court season and the French Open. For now, however, the spotlight shines brightly on Luca Nardi, whose remarkable victory at Indian Wells has etched his name into tennis history.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
