Nardi becomes the lowest ranked player to beat Djokovic at ATP Masters 1000 or Grand Slam level.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic lost in the third round at Indian Wells to 20-year-old lucky loser Luca Nardi.
Italy's Nardi, ranked 123rd in the world, was initially eliminated from the preliminary rounds, but advanced to the main tournament after another player withdrew.
He hit 34 winners to beat the 24-time Grand Slam champion 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, converting match point with an ace.
“It's crazy,” said Nardi, the lowest-ranked player to beat Djokovic at the ATP Masters 1000 or Grand Slam level.
“I don't know [how I held my nerve], I'm a 20-year-old guy and I think it would be a miracle to beat Novak. ”
Djokovic, 36, has yet to win a tournament this year, losing in the semifinals of the Australian Open to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.
“There is no title this year, which is something I'm not used to,” said the Serbian, who hit 17 winning hits but made nine unforced errors.
“Most of my career I started the season with a Grand Slam win or a Dubai win. That's fine, that's part of the sport. You just have to accept it. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. .
“Hopefully I can win a few more and keep going. Any trophy I get in the end will be great and I can break a little bit of the cycle that I've had over the last three or four tournaments. “I'm not even close to my best yet. ”
“It felt great,” said Nardi, who lost to Belgium's David Goffin in the final round of qualifying.
“I couldn't even imagine playing against him. And now I could beat him too,” he added.
“This is truly a dream come true for me. After the match, the coaches said to me, Luka, everyone was rooting for you, it's unbelievable. “When you play against Djokovic, he's the best player of all time. ” he said.
“I will cherish this moment for the rest of my life.”
Nardi plays tommy paul In the last 16, the United States advanced to France's Hugo Humbert with a 6-4, 6-4 victory.
Daniil Medvedev Defeated Sebastian Korda 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 to qualify Grigor Dimitrov In the next round.
Holger Ruhn, Casper Ruud and Taylor Fritz also made it to the last 16.
