Sebastian Korda stuns No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in Miami Open third round

World No. 1 Alcaraz falls to 32nd-seeded American Korda in three sets

Mar. 23, 2026 at 4:52am

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World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz suffered a surprising defeat to 32nd-seeded American Sebastian Korda, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in third-round action of the Miami Open on Sunday. Korda was sensational on his serve, smashing 12 aces while committing no double faults. He had more winners than Alcaraz (33-30), won more service points (63% to 62%), and saved three of five break points.

Why it matters

This upset loss for the top-ranked Alcaraz is a significant blow to his momentum, as he had started the year with 12 straight wins before going 5-2 since. Korda's victory over the world No. 1 is a major career highlight and boosts his own standing in the men's tennis rankings.

The details

Korda, who was 1-4 all-time against Alcaraz with the win coming in 2022 before the Spaniard won his first grand slam, was sensational on his serve, smashing 12 aces while committing no double faults. He had more winners than Alcaraz (33-30), won more service points (63% to 62%) and saved three of five break points while Alcaraz saved two of five. Korda got the decisive break at 3-3 in the final set and finished off the match in his next two service games.

  • The match took place on Sunday, March 23, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida.

The players

Sebastian Korda

A 32nd-seeded American tennis player who pulled off the upset victory over world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

Carlos Alcaraz

The world No. 1 tennis player who suffered a surprising defeat to Sebastian Korda in the third round of the Miami Open.

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What they’re saying

“It was a lot of tense moments, for sure. But I think today the ultimate thing was belief, going back to just believing, committing in every shot. Luckily, I got it done at the end.”

— Sebastian Korda

“(Sebastian) was incredible today. Played such a great game. A lot of tight, tight moments that I just didn't make the most of it. I think he was better on those points, on those moments. I would say that was the key of the match.”

— Carlos Alcaraz

What’s next

Korda will face fellow American and 21st-seeded player Martin Landaluce in the fourth round, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals.

The takeaway

This stunning upset by the 32nd-ranked Korda over the world No. 1 Alcaraz is a major career highlight for the young American player and a significant setback for the rising Spanish star, who had started the year strong but has now suffered two losses in his last seven matches.