Nardi on Djokovic win: 'I will keep this moment for the rest of my life'

Luca Nardi enjoyed the biggest moment of his blossoming career on Monday night at the BNP Paribas Open, where he stunned World No. 1 Novak Djokovic to reach the fourth round in Indian Wells.

When the players walked onto court in Indian Wells, very few would have expected the 20-year-old Italian to emerge as the winner. Two hours and 20 minutes later and the almost unthinkable had become reality, with Nardi dropping his racquet and placing his head in his hands following match point.

The No. 123 player in the PIF ATP Rankings had a look of shock across his face and admitted that before the match the thought of beating his idol Djokovic was a distant one.

“Before the match I spoke to my coach and I said, ‘I don't want to lose 6-1, 6-1’. After three or four games, because there was so much windy today, it wasn't easy to play for both of us and I think I started good,” Nardi said. “I realised that during the rallies I was feeling good. So, I don't know maybe in the first games I realised [that I could win].”

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Nardi, who grew up with posters of the Serbian on his bedroom wall, lost in qualifying to David Goffin but was given a lifeline at the ATP Masters 1000 when he received a lucky loser spot.

He received a first-round bye after he took seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry’s place in the draw before he sunk Zhang Zhizhen to earn just his second Masters 1000 victory. Having now defeated Djokovic, Nardi is living in a dreamworld.

"No one could imagine it. I would say you are crazy,” Nardi said when asked if he could have envisaged the past week. “I was the third lucky loser. Even that was something surprise when I got in. Even for me, I had never beaten a Top 50 [player] and I also beat Zhang in the first round. Now Djokovic. I don't know what to say about it.

“Amazing feeling. I couldn't even imagine to play a match against him and now I also beat him. So it's such a dream come true for me,” he further added.

Nardi’s clash against the 40-time ATP Masters 1000 champion Djokovic was the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. The Italian grew up watching the 36-year-old and believes this was one of the few advantages he had ahead of the match.

“Before the match, I'm 20 years old and we are out watching him play. I have watched his matches for 10 years,” Nardi said. “The only advantage that I had was that he didn't see me ever play.

Nardi, currently No. 96 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, will next play American Tommy Paul. The former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF competitor revealed that whatever happens for the rest of the tournament, his win against Djokovic will be one he cherishes forever.

“After the match my coaches told me, ‘Luca, everyone was cheering for you’. [It is] incredible,” Nardi said. “Against Djokovic, he's the best player ever. I will keep this moment for me for the rest of my life.”