ATP Miami Masters: Alcaraz Upset by Korda, Fritz Emerges as Top Seed in Upper Half

On March 22 local time, a major upset occurred at the ATP Miami Masters, where world number one Alcaraz was unexpectedly eliminated. He lost to local favorite Korda in the men's singles third round with a score of 3-6, 7-5, 4-6, falling in a grueling battle lasting 2 hours and 19 minutes. After starting 2026 with a perfect 16-0 record, Alcaraz has now lost two of his last three matches, including a semifinal defeat to Medvedev in Indian Wells. Korda, currently ranked 36th in the world, is the lowest-ranked player to defeat Alcaraz since Goffin, ranked 55th, beat him in the second round of Miami last year.

Korda

Alcaraz won his first Masters title here four years ago, but has exited early in Miami for the past two years. In this encounter, the Spaniard struggled to find answers against Korda, who was serving exceptionally well. After securing the first set, Korda led 5-4 in the second set and held a service game to win the match, but Alcaraz mounted a strong comeback to force a deciding set. Korda quickly regrouped and continued to perform excellently in the final set, ultimately sealing the victory.

“I took a winding path to this victory,” Koda said after the match. “The pressure during the match was greater than I anticipated, but I am satisfied with my performance, pleased that I persevered. I maintained belief throughout. Although I found myself in a very difficult situation, I did not give up and played exceptionally well in the final stages.”

In his post-match analysis, Alcaraz calmly reflected: “I have many weapons and can do many things on court to try to make my opponent uncomfortable, but today I never found that feeling. I know from now on opponents will approach me this way, and I need to be prepared. Even though he (Korda) performed arguably above his usual level, I still kept the score close. There were many 30-all points, many deuces, and break points, but unfortunately I couldn’t capitalize on them. In future matches, I will strive to perform better on these crucial points and not let them maintain that level throughout the entire match; I will push them to their limits.”

Alcaraz admitted that his opponents often play freely without pressure: “I feel they approach these matches with a ‘win-big, lose-nothing’ mentality. That’s why, at certain moments, or almost the entire match, they can perform without pressure, which I sense after every match. I believe they don’t face the usual pressure they would against other players when they play against me.”

Korda will face 20-year-old Spanish qualifier Landaluce in the fourth round, who upset 14th seed Khachanov with a score of 6-3, 7-6(2). In other men’s singles matches, sixth seed Fritz, 21st seed Lehecka, 22nd seed Paul, and 29th seed Etcheverry all advanced smoothly to the round of 16.

Men's Singles Upper Half Round of 16 Matchups

Korda [32] vs. Landaluce [Q]

Lehecka [21] vs. Fritz [6]

Etcheverry [29] vs. Paul [22]

Vasilev [24] vs. Fils [28]

（Text and editing by Wang Fei, Image/Visual China）