Sebastian Korda recorded the most significant victory of his career at the 2026 Miami Open, beating world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to advance to the fourth round. The No. 32 seed withstood a late charge from Alcaraz and closed out the match in two hours and 18 minutes on Stadium Court.

Korda entered the day 1-6 against players ranked in the top three, his previous best win having come against then-No. 3 Daniil Medvedev at the 2023 Rolex Shanghai Masters. Alcaraz, by contrast, had been the dominant force through the early 2026 season, compiling a 16-1 record across his first three tournaments. He became the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, followed that with a title at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, and arrived in Miami after his run at the BNP Paribas Open ended in the semifinals. He had defeated Joao Fonseca in straight sets to open his Miami campaign.

Korda, a former world No. 15 who has battled injuries in his career, has a history of strong Miami results with two quarterfinal runs at the Hard Rock Stadium and had been building form with a title run in Delray Beach. Dropping just three games in his opening round against Camilo Ugo Carabelli, Korda carried that confidence into the contest with Alcaraz. He saved two break points on his serve in the third game, later earned a break and served out the opening set.

Korda pressed for control in the second, winning three games in a row and creating a chance for a double-break lead, but Alcaraz fought back. After forcing Korda to serve for the match, Alcaraz produced a love-break and strung together five consecutive games to take the match to a decider. In the final set Korda snapped Alcaraz’s streak, secured the first break of the decider and, after Alcaraz again rallied to force Korda to serve for the match, finished with a backhand winner and a final service winner to claim the victory. The result handed Alcaraz his earliest loss of the season and marked a defining moment for Korda in Miami.

The Miami Open delivers a trio of intriguing matchups with very different storylines. First up is Alcaraz vs. Korda, a third-round test that carries real significance for the American. Korda announced himself in the spring of 2021 by reaching the Delray Beach final and the Miami quarterfinals. The 6’5″ frame, the major-champion father and the ultra-smooth two-handed backhand helped prompt praise from Martina Navratilova at the time.

Five years on, Korda has not reached a Grand Slam semifinal or cracked the Top 10. He is ranked 36th in the world and seventh among U.S. men. At 25 he is still in development, and this season has begun positively: healthy and working with new coach Ryan Harrison. Korda is 11-5 in 2026, reached a Challenger final in San Diego, made a quarterfinal in Dallas and converted a Delray final into a title this time.

Korda is 1-4 against Alcaraz; his lone victory came in 2022 on clay in Monte Carlo. Since then they met three times and Alcaraz has not dropped a set. Their last meeting was in 2024, and Alcaraz already appeared dialed in during his opening-round win. This one is a major measuring stick for Korda and Harrison, particularly on serve and competitive energy. Winner: Alcaraz

The Keys vs. Zheng match promises power from both players. Keys, after winning the 2025 Australian Open, sits at No. 18. Zheng, who reached a career high of No. 4 last summer and underwent right elbow surgery, is back at No. 26. They have met once on hard courts in D.C. three years ago, with Keys winning in two sets. Zheng is 23 and Keys is 31; the key question is how much rust Zheng has shed in roughly a month back on tour. I expect Zheng to have enough. Winner: Zheng

On Court 1, Jovic and Gibson meet at tour level for the first time. Jovic is 18 and a career-high No. 17, arriving off a strong Australian swing and a 15-6 start to the season. Gibson, 21, advanced from qualifying to the Indian Wells quarterfinals and has again qualified in Miami, adding two main-draw wins and a victory over Naomi Osaka. The pair met once on grass in an ITF match last year, a three-set Jovic win. Jovic offers polish, speed and variety; Gibson brings natural power and a two-handed backhand that can decide the day.

Iva Jovic converted a painful loss at Indian Wells into a commanding performance at the Miami Open, and she says a simple mental habit borrowed from another elite athlete has helped.

The 18-year-old was edged in three sets by Camila Osorio at the BNP Paribas Open, holding three match points on her serve before losing 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3. Jovic addressed that defeat and the work of moving on in candid fashion: “I think I’m still maybe not completely over it!” Jovic said with a grin in Miami. “Matches like those are brutal…

“I just try to think of it, like, how can I play that match so that it never gets to 5-4 in the second set? You win two and two, and then you’re never in a position to be saving match points.”

She followed that approach on court against former world No. 2 Paula Badosa, winning 6-2, 6-1 to reach the third round in her first main-draw appearance at the event. Afterward, Jovic revealed she has adopted journaling to reset and sharpen her thinking, crediting freestyle skier Eileen Gu for the idea. “Shout out to Eileen Gu! She inspired me to do some journaling, as well,” Jovic told press. “I loved her comments. Right now I’m (journaling) almost every day… So, thank you Eileen!”

Gu described her analytical approach to mental performance during the 2026 Winter Olympics: “I spend a lot of time in my head, and it’s not a bad place to be,” Gu said in Milan-Cortina. “I journal a lot. I break down all of my thought processes. I think I apply a very analytical lens to my own thinking, and I kind of modify it.”

Jovic has quickly embraced the habit. “I really like it,” Jovic said. “Sometimes when you have something you’re struggling with or a problem, half of it is just writing it down. And then you’re halfway to solving it. It’s helpful.”

She said the confidence also comes from preparation. “I think for me, it just comes from knowing the work that I put in. I think I train a lot. I work very hard when I’m on the court, so I just trust that it’s going to pay off and that I’m doing the right things. So in those tough moments, I know I’ve prepared for this. I’m ready for what happens.” The season has included a breakthrough run to the Australian Open quarterfinals and guidance from Novak Djokovic earlier in the year.