"Gotta call a guy like that a ‘stopper’" – Novak Djokovic-slayer Luca Nardi comes under criticism from Jimmy Connors over poor Indian Wells show
Former World No. 1 Jimmy Connors came down on Luca Nardi as he failed to capitalize on the momentum he gained by beating Novak Djokovic at the Indian Wells Masters 2024.
Nardi sent shockwaves in the tennis world by bundling Djokovic out of the Indian Wells with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win in the third round. He entered the draw as the lucky loser, interestingly received a bye in the opening round, and downed Zhang Zhizhen in the second.
Nardi's journey, however, ended right after the third round as home-favorite Tommy Paul thumped him 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth round. His poor show after succeeding the Serb invited criticism from American tennis icon Jimmy Connors.
Connors labeled the 20-year-old Italian a 'stopper' for his inconsistency in a recent episode of the Advantage Connors podcast.
"I gotta go back to the old days and call a guy like that a ‘stopper’. He goes out, plays the match of his life and he beats Djokovic and then can't carry through. Tennis consistency… every match you go out and play, you bring your best and give it everything you have," Connors said [at 23:30].
Connors' words further suggested that he expected maturity from Nardi in handling his achievement as he still needed to win four more matches to win the title at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
"But the feeling of beating a guy like Djokovic, who's the number one player in the world, one million Grand Slams or whatever he's won, the feeling you get after that… the euphoria is something you have to know how to control and understand that, 'Hey wait a minute, this is only the third round, I've got four more rounds to win to win this tournament'," Connors added.
"It's about what you're willing after beating a guy like Novak Djokovic" - Jimmy Connors
In the same episode of the Advantage Connors podcast, Jimmy Connors wondered whether Luca Nardi's win over Novak Djokovic at the Indian Wells Masters was a fluke.
"A lot of guys beat [Jimmy] Connors, a lot of guys beat [Bjorn] Borg, a lot of guys beat Mac [John McEnroe], a lot of guys beat [Ivan] Lendl, do you win the tournament? Or is it a one-off," the eight-time Grand Slam champion said [at 24:49].
Connors noted that a player is defined more by his will than his skill. He added:
"Until Sunday comes around, you've got to figure out a way to keep your game and mental… the mental is more important than the game. Because the game is always there, it's about what you're willing after beating a guy like Djokovic to walk out and say you're going to preserve your body."