Italian qualifier Luca Nardi achieved a career milestone on Monday by securing a remarkable victory over world number one Novak Djokovic with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 at the ATP-WTA Indian Wells Masters.
Ranked 123rd globally, Nardi ended Djokovic's impressive 11-match winning streak at Masters events, outplaying the seasoned Serb.
Nardi's triumph was particularly significant, as Djokovic had been his childhood tennis idol, with the Serbian poster adorning his bedroom wall since he was eight.
The 20-year-old displayed remarkable composure and skill, breaking Djokovic for a 4-2 lead in the decisive set. He sealed the victory three games later with a match-winning ace, demonstrating his ability to perform under pressure.
Nardi's performance was marked by 36 winners and 41 unforced errors, while Djokovic made 31 during the intense two-and-a-half-hour match.
"Before this night, no one knew me," Nardi said in an on-court interview after his win. "I hope the crowd enjoyed the game; I'm super happy with this one."
Asked how he had pulled off the biggest win of his career, Nardi replied, "I don't know. I think it is a miracle. I'm a guy ranked outside the top 100 in the world and now I'm beating Novak – crazy, crazy."
Nardi only reached the main draw in Indian Wells after a withdrawal. He had been beaten by Belgium's David Goffin in the final round of qualifying.
Djokovic, meanwhile, attributed his defeat to a bad day at the office.
"He got in as a lucky loser to the main draw, so he really didn't have anything to lose," Djokovic said of Nardi.
"He deserved to win. I was more surprised by my level. My level was really, really bad. That's it, these two things come together – he's having a great day; I'm having a really bad day."
In other games on Monday, seventh seed Holger Rune finally made it onto the court after a first-round bye and a walkover in the second round against injured Milos Raonic.
The 20-year-old Dane got off to a running start in the event with a 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) defeat of Italy's Lorenzo Musetti.
Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev struggled to beat Sebastian Korda 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, but he prevailed in a bizarre match with 31 break points, 15 of which were converted.
The winner was limited to just 14 winners, with Korda weighed down by more than 60 unforced errors. Medvedev next plays Grigor Dimitrov.
Norway's ninth seed, Casper Ruud, advanced past Arthur Fils of France 6-2, 6-4.
French showstopper Gael Monfils ended the run of 2021 champion Cameron Norrie, with the 36-year-old winner and the Briton playing a massive 31 break points in a match won by Monfils 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.
Tommy Paul, who next faces Nardi, earned a home win with his 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Dubai champion Ugo Humbert.
Taylor Fritz joined him, 6-2, 6-2, over Argentine Sebastian Baez.
In the women's draw, reigning women's Grand Slam champions Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff reached the fourth round with challenging straight-set wins.
But former number one and 2018 tournament winner Naomi Osaka failed to join them. The Japanese player was eliminated 7-5, 6-4 by Elise Mertens, who now takes on Gauff.
The Belgian saved three break points in the final game, advancing on her second match point, which drew an Osaka error.
Osaka, a four-time majors winner, is returning to tennis this season after giving birth.
Earlier, Sabalenka defeated Emma Raducanu 6-3, 7-5, but double-faulted on a match point and needed three more winning chances before finally going through.
"I was super happy to close this match in two sets; the last game was tight," Sabalenka said. "If I had lost that game, it would give her much more emotional belief and confidence - going to the tiebreak, you never know, it's 50/50."
Gauff won the U.S. Open last September as a teenager and overcame Lucia Bronzetti 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) as she closed out victory in a tiebreaker with minimal drama.
The U.S. Open champion, who turns 20 on Wednesday, won her sixth straight match against an Italian opponent.
"She played really well," the winner said of Bronzetti. "But I was much better than in my last match – I'm improving with each one."
