Luca Nardi’s feat at the ATP 1000 tournament in Indian Wells. The Italian, number 123 in the world, beat the number 1 in the ranking, the Serbian Novak Djokovic, in three sets with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
For further information Agenzia ANSA The 12-year-old Nardi and the dream of beating Djokovic, ‘My idol’ – Tennis – Ansa.it In an 8-year-old video interview he talked about his goals (ANSA)
Clean face, always correct on and off the pitch, good technique and a lot of determination. Luca Nardi is one of the most promising tennis players born in 2003 but his modest character and some injuries have kept him away from the spotlight of the circus. At least until today, when he beat Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells. “I think before tonight, nobody knew me,” he said immediately after the match. But that’s not really the case. For professionals, the 20-year-old from Pesaro has always been a talent, a predestined. His professional debut dates back to June 2018, when at just 14 years and 10 months he managed to reach the quarterfinals of the Future tournament in Sassuolo. His placing earned him a point in the ATP ranking: he thus became the youngest Italian tennis player ever to enter the world rankings. Fans of the time indicated Nardi and Holger Rune as two of the emerging talents on a global level. 186 centimeters tall, with a slender physique and a decent list of successes: five Challenger titles out of seven finals played, three ITF titles out of four finals. Thanks to the victory over Djokovic he enters the ATP top 100.
Among his records there is also that of becoming the youngest Italian tennis player to have beaten a number 1 in the world ranking. The debut on the ATP circuit is in May 2022 at the Italian Internationals. The impact with the major circuits was not easy. He also missed out on qualifying at Indian Wells but thanks to the repechage due to Tomas Etcheverry’s withdrawal (the Argentinian stopped due to a muscle problem in his right calf and gave him the position as seeded number 30) he returned directly from third shift. A bit of luck but also a lot of determination leading up to today’s exploit. On the other hand, since he was a child Nardi showed that he had clear ideas about where to go in the world of tennis. The first shots with the racket at the age of 7 in Pesaro, where his mother accompanied him together with his older brother. Eight years ago he was a 12 year old and like all young tennis players he dreamed of becoming an ATP player.
Video Tennis, 12 year old Luca Nardi and the dream of beating Djokovic: ‘My idol’
His idol was Novak Djokovic. In a video interview by Luca Fiorino, 12-year-old Luca Nardi was already very determined, despite his very young age: “My dream? Well, it is to become an ATP player”, he explained. In that period Djokovic was not the absolute dominator of world tennis and was fighting with champions such as Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer, but Nardi had indicated him as his model. To those who asked him who his idol was, he replied confidently: “Djokovic. Because I like the way he is on the pitch, how he plays, how much he runs”. Of his private life, Nardi gives an image of simplicity and a strong bond with his family: his mother who accompanied him to training and prepared lasagna for him, his notary father who passed on to him the passion for Napoli Calcio of which the young man from the Marche he’s a huge fan. Now attention has returned to him but his simplicity surprises everyone. At the press conference a journalist asked him to comment on his next opponent in the quarterfinals at Indian Wells, Tommy Paul. “Oh I’m playing against him? Really? I didn’t know, I hadn’t looked at the scoreboard. Thanks for telling me. I don’t know what to say. I will definitely prepare the match with my coaches and it will be very difficult, because he is playing well and I like the his style. We’ll see what happens.”
“A miracle, beating Nole is crazy”
“I think that before tonight no one knew me. I hope the audience appreciated the show. I’m super happy with this match. In the end I don’t know how I managed to hold on. I think it was a miracle, because I’m a 20-year-old boy years, outside the top hundred in the world, who managed to beat Novak. It’s crazy.” This is how Luca Nardi comments on his victory in Indian Wells against the number 1 in the ATP ranking, Novak Djokovic. The 20-year-old from Pesaro, n.123 ATP, becomes the player with the lowest ranking to have ever defeated Nole in a tournament of this category or in a Slam (a record that until now belonged to the South African Kevin Anderson, n.122 when he won in Miami in 2008). He is the fourth lowest ranked tennis player to beat a reigning world number one in a “1000”. Nardi on Wednesday will face the American Tommy Paul, n.17 in the ranking, who beat the French Ugo Humbert, n.14 ATP in two sets. There are no precedents between the two.
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2024-03-12 09:06:00
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