World No. 1 Novak Djokovic suffered a shock third round exit at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells in California. The 24-time Grand Slam Champion was playing No.123 ranked Luca Nardi on Monday. After losing the first set, Djokovic levelled the contest by winning the second. However, his 20-year-old Italian opponent came rallied in the decider to win the match 6-4 3-6 6-3.
The defeat was the Serb’s first outing since being knocked out of the Australian Open by eventual winner Jannik Sinner. Nardi is the lowest ranked player to beat Djokovic in 16 years since Kevin Anderson (ranked 122) knocked him out of the Miami Open in 2008.
Elsewhere, defending Champion Carlos Alcaraz produced an impressive display against Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Wimbledon Champion beat his Canadian opponent in straight sets 6-2 6-3 as he looks to defend his crown in California.
Emma Raducanu’s campaign was ended by Australian Open Champion Aryna Sabalenka in the third round. Raducanu produced a battling performance against her Belarusian opponent but was overpowered in the end 6-3 7-5. The 21-year-old will be encouraged by her standard of tennis during the tournament and will be hoping to build momentum heading into the Miami Open later this month.