World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz was surprisingly defeated in the early stages of the Miami Open by David Goffin, who secured an impressive comeback victory.
Goffin recovered from losing the first set to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 against Alcaraz. This marks Alcaraz`s second consecutive loss, following a defeat by Jack Draper at Indian Wells the previous week.
Alcaraz`s inconsistent play in the ATP Masters 1000 event was costly. He made 43 unforced errors, with 28 of them coming from his forehand.
“My level was poor,” Alcaraz admitted. “I wanted to perform better. After the first set, I hoped to improve, but I didn`t. Goffin played well and increased his level after the first set, while mine didn`t.”
A victory at the Miami Open could have moved Alcaraz to No. 2 in the ATP rankings, especially with Alexander Zverev`s early exit. However, he will remain in third place.
“I didn`t play well and didn`t feel physically fit,” Alcaraz explained. “Without physical confidence, it`s difficult to maintain a high level of tennis.”
“My legs felt heavy, though I wasn`t injured or sick. I felt fine before the match, perhaps a bit nervous, which is normal. I anticipated playing good tennis, but it didn`t happen.”
Goffin reaches the Miami Open third round for the first time since 2019. This is his third consecutive win against a top-three player. He will next face American Brandon Nakashima.
“This feels amazing,” Goffin said. “Some matches are tough fights, like the first round. It`s great to have a second round like this in a stadium. This is why I play tennis – for matches like this, to play good tennis.”
“I was just enjoying the moment… I felt physically ready to fight and was hitting the ball well. It was a night where you feel great, enjoy every point, and finish with a perfect match point. It was amazing.”
Earlier, Novak Djokovic, a six-time champion, returned to the Miami Open and defeated Australian Rinky Hijikata 6-0, 7-6 (7-1) to advance to the third round.
This was Djokovic’s first Miami appearance since 2019. This victory marked his 410th ATP Masters 1000 match win, tying him with Rafael Nadal for the most all-time.
“I wanted to prove to myself and others that I can still compete at a high level,” Djokovic stated. “After losing my first matches in the last two tournaments, I was eager to win my first match at the Miami Open.”
