Alcaraz stunned in Miami Open upset

2026-03-23 - 10:24

By Enitan Abdultawab Sebastian Korda produced a major upset at the Miami Open, defeating world number one Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to crash the Spaniard out in the third round. The American, ranked 36th in the world, capitalised on a shaky start from Alcaraz to take the opening set and, despite a second-set setback, held his nerve in the decider to seal the biggest win of his career. Korda broke for a 4-3 lead in the final set after Alcaraz sent a forehand wide, before closing out the match on his second match point. Alcaraz, 22, had briefly fought back after breaking Korda to love when the American served for the match in the second set, eventually forcing a decider. However, he was unable to maintain momentum as Korda steadied himself under pressure. Reflecting on the defeat, Alcaraz remained optimistic about his form heading into the clay-court season. “I think the process has been good. Besides the loss today, I think I’m still in the right way,” he said. “Some things in previous tournaments that I just didn’t feel comfortable, I think in this tournament, I started to feel better and better.” He also acknowledged the challenge posed by lower-ranked opponents. “I’m feeling they have more to win than to lose in those matches. They’re playing without pressure,” Alcaraz said, adding, “I’m not thinking about my pressure. I don’t feel it at all. I’m trying to play my best.” For Korda, the victory marked his first-ever win against a world number one and his second triumph over Alcaraz in six meetings. “It feels great,” he said after the match. “I took the scenic route, that’s for sure – a little more stress than I would want but happy with how I played.” He added, “I kept believing. I got myself in some nasty situations, but I kept going and played really well in the end.” Korda will now face either Karen Khachanov or Martin Landaluce in the fourth round as he looks to surpass his previous best runs at the tournament.