Sebastian Korda delivered one of the biggest surprises of the tournament after defeating world number one Carlos Alcaraz in three sets to reach the fourth round of the Miami Open.
The American, ranked 36th in the world, secured a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 victory on Sunday, earning his first career win against a top-ranked player.
The result marked a second consecutive early exit in Miami for Alcaraz, who previously won the tournament in 2022 but also suffered an early defeat in last year’s edition.
Korda appeared close to finishing the contest in straight sets when he served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but the Spaniard responded strongly by breaking serve without conceding a point.
Alcaraz then claimed the next two games to force a deciding set, raising the intensity as he attempted a comeback.
However, Korda regained control in the third set, breaking serve for a 4-3 lead after Alcaraz sent a forehand wide.
The American maintained composure on serve, producing a decisive overhead winner before eventually closing out the contest on his second match point when Alcaraz returned long.
Speaking after the match, Korda said he was pleased with both his level and his mental strength in key moments against one of the sport’s leading players.
He also praised Alcaraz’s all-round quality, describing the Spaniard as one of the most complete players in modern tennis.
For Alcaraz, the defeat ended a strong run in 2026 that had included titles at the Australian Open and Qatar Open, along with an unbeaten stretch before his semi-final exit at Indian Wells Masters earlier this month.
Korda will next face either Martin Landaluce or Karen Khachanov for a place in the quarter-finals.
