The Spaniard surrenders to the American 6-3 5-7 6-4. If Jannik wins the tournament he will be only 1190 points behind the no.1
Last year, in Miami, his certainties had wavered so much that he was touched by the thought of giving up everything after his debut against David Goffin. Luckily, Carlos Alcaraz didn’t do it, returning to clay after a regenerating family holiday and dominating until finishing 2025 as season-end number 1. This year, once again, the Florida city does not give him smiles with a sudden stop against Sebastian Korda.
The Spaniard therefore says goodbye in the 3rd round against a super Sebastian Korda who wins, and then loses, and then wins again a tachycardic match which earned him his first victory with the number 1 in the world and the round of 16 in Miami. Korda passes in three sets 6-3 5-7 6-4 and gives a great gift to Jannik Sinner. The South Tyrolean, on the field at midnight in Italy between Monday and Tuesday against Moutet, if he were to win the tournament, would arrive next Monday just 1190 points behind the Spaniard, who has a mountain of points to defend on clay: the victories in Monte Carlo, Rome and Roland Garros and the final in Barcelona.
THE MATCH
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It’s a Korda who hasn’t been seen like this in a while. He, who had been beaten by Carlos in a beautiful Next Gen final at the Allianz Cloud in Milan five years ago, took to the field with very clear ideas. Continuous changes of pace, almost impeccable service (unlike the Spanish), corners, short balls and accelerations. Carlos seems impatient, gripped by a passion that leads him to make mistakes. Not only that. The serve doesn’t cooperate and the responses from Korda, son of Petr number 2 in the world, hurt. The American, often slowed down by injuries, has a break point immediately in the opening game, Alcaraz cancels it and in turn becomes dangerous with two chances in the third game. The match is balanced, Korda doesn’t let himself be overwhelmed by the variety of a particularly imprecise Alcaraz and when, in the eighth game, two break points arrive, he takes the opportunity and goes up 5-3 and then goes on to close the first set 6-3. In the second, Carlos loses serve almost immediately, in the 3rd game, he argues heatedly with his corner and says “I don’t know what to do, I can’t do anything else”, a bit like at Wimbledon when in the final against Sinner he said “he does everything better than me”. Korda feels that it could be a big day and holds on to his serve, in addition to gifts from Alcaraz who on two occasions risks going down by a second break. Then, as the American unfortunately did more than once, at the moment of serving for the match his certainties melt away. He loses serve to zero and allows Alcaraz to recover the break and unleash himself.
THE FINALE
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Sebastian goes from serving for the match to serving to earn the tie break. The American never puts a ball on the court again and Alcaraz has the set point which takes him to third after 1 hour and 31 minutes. Korda’s body language doesn’t promise anything good, yet he manages to stay attached to the match until Alcaraz gives him an opportunity: in the 7th game at 30-0 for the Spaniard, the American goes to a break point who, one point after another, takes a break point and takes the lead, 4-3. Not without risks he confirms the advantage, 5-3. Alcaraz serves to stay in the match, he comes back twice before holding for 5-4. An hour later, Korda serves again for the match and starts with the winning serve, at 15-15 a counter-break winner for 30-15 and then again a winner for two match points. A tape erases the first, and with a winning serve he closes, death and resurrection for the most important victory of his career, the first against the number 1 in the world.
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