Miami Open Shock: Alcaraz Falls to Korda in a Three-Set Upset

Match recap and upset at the Miami Open

In a stunning upset, world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz bowed out of the Miami Open in the third round after a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 defeat to American Sebastian Korda, in two hours and 17 minutes, marking the biggest win of Korda's career.

Alcaraz had looked on track to avoid defeat after breaking Korda in the second set, but Korda regained his rhythm and stayed calm in the decider, breaking serve in key moments to take a 5-3 lead before closing with a booming serve.

Korda, ranked 36 and a Florida native, showed clear variety, using big serves and net approaches, while Alcaraz appeared slightly off physically and committing more errors than usual, contributing to the setback.

Alcaraz's fatigue and frustration were evident, with the microphones catching his remark: Alcaraz muttered that he could not continue and was headed home.

And yet, this was Korda's first win over Alcaraz, a notable breakthrough as the American had previously struggled to beat the Spaniard despite several strong displays in their prior meetings. Alcaraz, by contrast, never quite found his rhythm on this day.

After the match, Alcaraz said he planned to head home to reset, with the clay-court season approaching and the aim to return with both physical and mental sharpness. He emphasized his intention to be strong for the European clay swing.

Despite the early exit, the results raise questions about Alcaraz's form at the Miami event while underlining Korda's ongoing development and ambition at the world's top levels. The American's win signals a possible turn in their rivalry—as a young player, he is clearly ready to push higher-ranked opponents.

Punchline: If Alcaraz needs a reset button, the ball kids will find it faster than his forehand.

Punchline 2: He went home so quickly, even his suitcase filed a missing-person report for the next match.