Alcaraz suffers shocking loss to world No. 36 player in Miami Open third round

A major upset occurred at the Miami Open when world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz unexpectedly fell to the significantly underestimated opponent Sebastian Korda in the third round.

The defeat with a score of 3-6, 7-5, 4-6 not only caused Alcaraz to exit early but also marked one of the biggest surprises of this year's tournament.

Entering the match with impressive form, Alcaraz was expected to advance deep, especially after he recently completed the Career Grand Slam by winning the Australian Open earlier this year. However, Korda demonstrated thorough preparation and resilient competitive spirit to create the seismic upset.

Right in the first set, the American player—currently ranked 36th in the world—started with full confidence. He quickly secured a crucial break and closed the set with a powerful ace, thereby establishing a 6-3 lead. His versatile play, combining strong serves and timely net approaches, caused Alcaraz considerable difficulty.

The second set witnessed a strong comeback effort by the Spanish player. Although Korda had the opportunity to finish the match when leading 5-3 and holding serve, he unexpectedly lost the advantage by being broken to love. Seizing the moment, Alcaraz won two consecutive games to turn the tide, sending the match into a deciding set.

It seemed the momentum would help Alcaraz complete the comeback, but Korda proved his impressive composure. The 25-year-old player quickly regained focus, securing a break at a crucial moment to lead 4-3 in the third set. He maintained the advantage before ending the match with an unreturnable serve on his second match point.

Sharing after the match, Korda could not hide his joy: "I had to take a rather winding path to win. There were many tense moments, but I kept believing and played well at the end of the match." This is also the first time in his career he has defeated a world No. 1 player.

For Alcaraz, this defeat continues to show signs of his slowdown after the loss to Daniil Medvedev in the Indian Wells semifinals. Although he still holds a record of 17 wins and 2 losses in the 2026 season, consecutive early exits in Miami are concerning, especially since last year he also stopped very early against David Goffin.

This loss means Alcaraz will have additional time to prepare for the clay season, starting with the Monte Carlo Masters. Meanwhile, Korda advances to the fourth round and will face young talent Martin Landaluce.