Novak Djokovic’s Impact on Tommy Paul’s Indian Wells Redemption Arc Detailed by the American

Tommy Paul is an American player who has performed fantastically over various years. However, the star who was on the cusp of entering the top 10 found himself failing in several spots. He couldn’t manage to get a grip on his game in 2023 and hoped to gain some wins in 2024. In the Indian Wells Masters, Paul finally caught a break as he managed to avoid facing Novak Djokovic. 

When Nardi was set to play against the American star, he did not realize he would be his opponent. He was unfortunately beaten when he played against Paul but went home with the memory of winning against the 24-time grand slam champion.

“I wanted to get back on that court” – Tommy Paul finds redemption in the 2024 Indian Wells

The world was surprised when Novak Djokovic lost to the 20-year-old Luca Nardi in round 3 of the Indian Wells Masters. He set up a clash with Paul, who managed to shut down the player in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3. He has managed impressive results in the BNP Paribas Open so far, but his triumph over Nardi helped him go past round 4.  

After the clash, he thought about redemption in the tournament and on court 2 as he asked to move to the court after knowing he would face Nardi. “Yeah, I mean, I did not know I was going to be playing Nardi. So I wasn’t expecting to be on Stadium 2. Then as soon as I saw he beat Novak, I requested Stadium 2. I wanted to get back on that court and have a little redemption, I guess.”

He first played in the tournament in 2021 and exited in round 4, which would also happen in 2023. He returned in 2022 and once again found himself losing before the finals stages in round 3. He finally broke the curse by beating Nardi. The Italian player was understandably elated after his win against Djokovic and forgot that he had to face Paul in his next round.

“Tommy Paul for what?” – Luca Nardi sort of overlooked the fact that he had to face Paul

Before suffering an unfortunate defeat at the hands of Paul, Nardi had beaten Djokovic. They fought, and the Italian youngster came ahead in straight sets. After the match, he seemed to be on an understandable high, as beating the Djoker is not an easy feat for anyone, much less a youngster down in the rankings. During the post-match interview, he said, “Tommy Paul for what? I play against him? Oh, really?“

Nardi was excited about his win but did not check his next draw. When he eventually played against him, he was defeated as Paul advanced to the quarterfinal, breaking his bad luck in the championship. Now, he will face Casper Ruud, and he hopes to keep his run going and go on to the semifinal. 

Read More – Indian Wells 2024: Novak Djokovic’s Slayer Touted as ‘Nicest’ and ‘Humblest’ by British ATP Pro