Novak Djokovic beaten by world no. 123 Luca Nardi at 2024 Indian Wells: who is the lowest-ranked player the Serb has lost to?

World number one Novak Djokovic, who has won more Grand Slam titles than any other male tennis player, has suffered one of biggest upsets in recent history at 2024 Indian Wells, losing to Italian youngster Luca Nardi, ranked 123rd in the world.

What did Djokovic say about his shock defeat to Nardi?

The veteran Serb recovered from a sluggish start to level the match in the second set but was undone by the 20-year-old’s aggressive approach in the third. Djokovic struggled with his serve throughout, his first serve percentage down at 60% (compared to Nardi’s 71%) and winning only 43% of points on his second serve (against the Italian’s 68%).

“He really didn’t have anything to lose, so he played great. He deserved to win,” Djokovic said after the match. “I was more surprised with my level. My level was really, really bad. These two things come together. He’s having a great day, I’m having a really bad day.”

For Nardi, one of the tournament’s lucky losers, it appears as if the victory will take some time to sink in. “I think it is a miracle, because I am a 20-year-old guy, 100 in the world, and beating Novak. It’s crazy.”

Who are the lowest-ranked players to have beaten Djokovic in his career?

Nardi, who recorded just his fifth ever victory on the ATP Tour, becomes the lowest-ranked player ever to defeat Djokovic in a Masters 1000 or Grand Slam tournament.

The Serbian star’s overall “worst” defeat came in 2010, when he lost to countryman Filip Krajinovic, ranked 319th in the world in Belgrade. On that occasion, however, Djokovic only played one set, which he lost 6-4, before retiring due to breathing problems.

The lowest-ranked player to have beaten the 36-year-old in a completed match is Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver, a 178th-ranked qualifier, at the 2006 Barcelona Open (4-6, 6-3, 3-6).