De retour après cinq ans d'absence, Novak Djokovic n'a pas pu relancer sa belle histoire avec Indian Wells. Titré ici en 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015 et 2016, Djokovic avait l'occasion de dépasser Roger Federer avec un sixième sacre et devenir seul détenteur du record. Mais, déjà bousculé lors de son entrée en lice contre Aleksandar Vukic, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3, Djokovic a été surpris lundi soir par le jeune Lucas Nardi dès le troisième tour, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Emprunté sur sa seconde balle, Nole a vécu une défaite ultra surprenante contre un joueur 123e mondial et lucky loser... Il n'avait plus été battu par un joueur au-delà du Top 100 depuis 2022 contre Jiri Vesely. Surtout, c'est seulement la deuxième fois qu'il s'est incliné contre un lucky loser. Une défaite inquiétante...
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00:00 [Music]
00:03 How much do you know about Lucas?
00:06 Many questions, let's start with questions.
00:08 Tough night, you know that. These kids are good.
00:14 Did he surprise you with the level that he played?
00:17 How much did you even know about him beforehand?
00:20 Congrats to him, particularly in the third set, playing some great tennis.
00:28 I watched him play, I didn't know much about him, but I watched him play
00:32 and I knew that he possesses great quality tennis from the baseline,
00:38 especially the forehand side. Moves well, very talented.
00:42 He got in as a lucky loser to me, so he didn't have anything to lose.
00:47 He played great and deserved to win.
00:50 I was more surprised with my level, my level was really, really bad.
00:54 That's it, these two things come together.
00:58 He's having a great day, I'm having a really bad day,
01:01 and that results in a negative outcome for me.
01:04 Novak, do you think the fact that you didn't play as well as you normally play
01:09 was because you haven't played since the Australian Open,
01:12 or was it also because you haven't played here for a while
01:14 and these conditions are pretty unique?
01:15 It could be both, to be honest. I'm not so sure.
01:18 I'm going to obviously analyse what was done, what could have been done better.
01:24 And then move on.
01:27 I do play fewer tournaments, so I'm more selective with my schedule.
01:33 Of course, it's not a great feeling when you drop out very early in the tournament,
01:38 and especially here, I haven't played in five years.
01:40 I really wanted to do well, but it wasn't meant to be. We move on.
01:44 Novak, tough loss. Do you have an idea of your schedule going forward right now?
01:51 Do you think you're going to be in Miami?
01:54 For the moment, Miami is there.
01:58 Ten minutes ago, I was on the court, so I'm still hot-headed a bit.
02:06 I need to take a day or two and then see what I want to do next.
02:11 Novak, as that match progressed, obviously he was playing some outstanding tennis,
02:19 but did you have a feeling that maybe he was also going to come off the boil?
02:24 No, if I didn't make him. But I really didn't make him.
02:30 I helped him play well, and I didn't help myself at all.
02:36 I made some really terrible long-force errors, and just quite defensive tennis.
02:43 Not much on the ball in the third. That's it.
02:49 He just stepped in and used the time that he had.
02:53 He was playing more free and more aggressive than I did,
02:58 going for his shots, and that break on 3-2 in the third was enough.
03:03 A bit of windy conditions today, completely contrary to what I was having
03:10 in my training sessions these days in the first match.
03:13 Still, it's not an excuse. I should have done much better.
03:17 Again, credit to him for pulling it off.
03:21 In the last couple of years, you mainly are playing in the run-up to a Grand Slam.
03:27 I feel like this is the first time in a while you've just been playing on the court.
03:33 Not really. I haven't played in five or six weeks.
03:39 I can't really say I'm part of the tour as all the other guys.
03:44 What I'm saying is that there's not so much...
03:46 I haven't played here in five years or Miami, so I get your point.
03:51 Is it different mentally coming in if you're not pointing towards...
03:57 I wasn't enjoying not playing in the Sunshine Double the last couple of years.
04:01 I really wanted to play.
04:04 It's different, but again, it's not like I made a mistake for coming here.
04:10 I really wanted to come and I enjoy being both Indian Wells and Miami.
04:15 Last one.
04:17 Do you feel there was anything you could do in retrospect to change the result?
04:23 We're so used to you being in full form and having titles this far in the season.
04:30 Any thoughts about this season?
04:32 I would have done everything differently.
04:35 As I said, a very poor performance from my side.
04:41 No titles this year. That's not something I'm used to.
04:46 I was starting the season, most of my career, with a Grand Slam win or Dubai win or any other tournament.
04:55 But it's fine.
04:59 It's part of the sport. You have to accept it.
05:03 Some you win, some you lose. Hopefully I'll win some more.
05:06 I'll still keep going.
05:08 I guess every trophy that eventually comes my way is going to be great, obviously,
05:17 to break the negative cycle that I'm having in the last three or four tournaments
05:23 where I haven't really been close to my best.
05:26 Last one.
05:28 Thank you.
05:30 (upbeat music)
05:32 (upbeat music)