Novak Djokovic was disappointed and surprised by his performance after losing to world number 123 Luca Nardi in the third round at the BNP Paribas Open.
The Serbians played aggressively against Nardi and tried to win. But Djokovic was disappointed, saying, “He was lucky to lose in the main draw; he showed his great game, so he has nothing to lose. I was surprised with my level; my level is very bad now.”
“Those two things are happening this time: having a great day and having a bad time. It’s a negative, very bad result for me,” Djokovic said.
It was his first appearance since losing to Janic Ciner in the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January. In his opening match at Indian Wells, the 36-year-old saw off Aleksandar Vukic in three sets with his superb play, but his run to victory came to a screeching halt against Nardi.
In contrast to the Italian’s sixteen winners in the third set, he won 42% (16/38) of his second-serve points.
Djokovic won a record sixth title in Indian Wells for the first time in 2019 and was seeking his first trophy of the season. It was the second time in six years that Djokovic, the 98-time tour-level champion, had not won a title in March, surprising many viewers.
“He doesn’t have a title this year. And he says it’s nothing for him; he’s used to one,” Djokovic said.
He also said, “Most of the time in my career, I started my career with a Grand Slam or a Dubai win.” He expressed his feelings, saying that “it’s part of the game to accept it. And some you win.”.
“He hasn’t been at his best in four tournaments,” Djokovic expressed his sentiments.
