World No. 151 junior 'avenges' Alcaraz at Miami Open 2026

Another major surprise continues to unfold at this year's Miami Open.

World No. 151 Spanish tennis player Martin Landaluce continues his dream run at Miami Open 2026 after defeating Sebastian Korda 2-1 (2-6; 7-6; 6-4) in a match played late on March 24 Vietnam time.

Korda, who created the biggest upset by eliminating Landaluce's compatriot - world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, quickly imposed his game with powerful shots. The son of former world No. 2 Petr Korda repeatedly secured break points to win the first set 6-2.

The second set was tightly contested as both players held their serves firmly, with no breaks occurring. The drama peaked in the tie-break when Korda gained a crucial mini-break, leading 6-5 and needing just one good serve to close the match. However, the American home player did something unbelievable by losing two mini-breaks consecutively; Landaluce did not miss the "gift" and turned it around to win 8-6, sending the match into the deciding set.

At this point, the advantage completely belonged to the Spanish young star, especially since Korda on the other side of the net is not known for stable competitive mentality. Landaluce quickly got a break to lead 2-0, then was broken back in game 5, but his American opponent underperformed precisely in the decisive service game; Alcaraz's junior made no mistakes to successfully utilize two match points, thereby securing the overall victory after nearly two and a half hours of competition.

This is the first time Martin Landaluce has reached the quarterfinals of an ATP 1000 event; previously, he had never passed the second round. Landaluce is also the first tennis player born in 2006 to feature in the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 tournament - a significant milestone for this young star trained at the Rafa Nadal academy.

In the quarterfinals, Landaluce will face Jiri Lehecka, who just eliminated the biggest hope of the American host - Taylor Fritz.