While Nadal's place in the semi-finals is still in doubt after his thrashing at the hands of Roger Federer on Tuesday, world number five Ferrer made sure he will be around at the weekend with a 6-3 6-1 defeat of the year's outstanding player.
In the day's other match, Czech Tomas Berdych saved a match point against Djokovic's fellow Serb Janko Tipsarevic to seal a 2-6 6-3 7-6 victory which means the calculators may be needed to decide who finishes runner-up in Group A on Friday.
The complications mean Djokovic could beat Davis Cup team mate Tipsarevic, a stand-in for injured Briton Andy Murray, and still fail to go through while a defeat, providing Ferrer beats Berdych, would see him survive.
Whatever the maths, Djokovic said he would need to play "50 per cent" better in his next match.
"I have no words to explain this match," said Djokovic, who went on a 41-match winning rampage at the start of the year and claimed three of the year's four Majors.
"Nothing was going well. I don't play at least 50 per cent better than I did tonight, I don't think I'll have any chance. You always hope that tomorrow will bring something better."
In front of another sell-out crowd in the 17,500-capacity arena, Djokovic began solidly enough as the first six games of the match went with serve.
However, when the terrier-like Ferrer raced across court on break point to whip a forehand down the line that caught his opponent flat-footed at the net, the match ceased to become a real contest as the 29-year-old from Valencia ran way with it.
He broke the Djokovic serve again to win the opening set and he needed nothing spectacular in the second set as Djokovic offered little resistance. The Serb's mounting unforced error tally spoke volumes.
"I'm embarrassed to look at the stats," Djokovic, who made 33 unforced errors, said. "All credit to my opponent, he played a great match but, you know, I wasn't there."
In Group B Federer has already guaranteed a top-two place and he will be joined in the semis by the winner of Nadal and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who face off on Thursday evening.
Frenchman Tsonga is expecting a backlash from Nadal after his humiliating 6-3 6-0 defeat by Federer.
"Rafa is a champion, he has pride," Tsonga told Reuters.
"Such a defeat will be stuck in his throat. He's hit but not sunk. It's like when you hunt. If you miss the boar, you just run away."
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