Carlos Alcaraz showed a rare glimpse of frustration, voicing his emotions multiple times during his third-round defeat to home favorite Sebastian Korda at the Miami Open.
The World No. 1 was caught off guard by the American’s commanding performance and, despite mounting a spirited fightback, eventually succumbed 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. Korda’s victory on Sunday marked his first career win against a top-ranked opponent.
Sebastian Korda Upsets Carlos Alcaraz in Dramatic Miami Open Thriller
Korda asserted his authority from the outset, landing 75% of his first serves and firing five aces to clinch the opening set 6-3. At times, Alcaraz appeared short of answers, but the Spaniard produced a timely resurgence late in the second set.
Trailing 5-3 and staring at defeat as Korda served for the match at 5-4, Alcaraz dug deep to win four consecutive games. He sealed the set 7-5 to restore parity and appeared to have shifted the momentum in his favor.
Notably, at that crucial juncture, his coach, Samuel Lopez, urged him to “suelta el órdago,” a call to raise the stakes. Alcaraz responded emphatically to snatch the second set and force a decider.
Samu López, a Alcaraz: “¡Suelta el órdago!”.
Estaba a un juego de perder.
Carlos, cuatro juegos después: se lleva el set.
El tenis es un deporte maravilloso. pic.twitter.com/CVSw1CyXJ0
— José Morón (@jmgmoron) March 22, 2026
Korda, however, held his nerve in the third set. Using his clean ball-striking and tactical clarity, he took the decider 6-4 to improve his head-to-head record against Alcaraz to 2-4.
While the match highlighted Korda’s composed display, it also revealed vulnerability in the seven-time Grand Slam champion, who struggled to maintain his composure. Alcaraz’s remarks during the match reflected an acknowledgment that he was operating below his true level.
The Spaniard was overheard telling his bench, “At most I can do a 6-3 6-4, 6-3 7-5 … no more than that I can’t.” A glimpse of frustration emerged as Alcaraz was heard shouting, “¡Me voy ya a casa! ¡Me voy a casa!” which translates to “I’m going home right now! I’m going home!”
Alcaraz, enfadadísimo.
🗣️ “¡Me voy ya a casa! ¡Me voy a casa!”
No recuerdo ver así a Carlos. https://t.co/WhmHw5V0T7
— José Morón (@jmgmoron) March 22, 2026
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With his triumph, Korda became the lowest-ranked player to defeat Alcaraz since David Goffin stunned him in the second round in Miami last year. The World No. 1 has now lost two of his previous three matches despite starting 2026 with a 16-match winning streak.
Korda, competing in Miami as the 32nd seed, will next face Spain’s Martin Landaluce. Landaluce also secured an upset on Sunday, defeating 14th seed Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6(2) to reach the fourth round of the Masters 1000 event.
As per PFSN’s exclusive simulator, the American’s chances of reaching the quarterfinals look strong. He is favored with an 87% chance of winning the upcoming encounter.
