This preview focuses on three matches at the Miami Open that carry real significance for form and momentum.

Tiafoe vs Mensik
Tiafoe and Mensik shared similar arcs last year: Tiafoe reached a season-high No. 11 last July while Mensik rose to a career-high No. 16 a month later. After those peaks, both struggled and saw their rankings fall, with Tiafoe slipping as low as No. 30. Their 2026 returns have been strong: Tiafoe is 13-6, reached the final at the 500 in Acapulco and has re-entered the Top 20. Mensik is 14-5, won a title in Auckland and hit a career-high No. 12 this month. Tiafoe credits new coach Mark Kovacs for toughening up his training. “I got a little bit of a drill sergeant right now in Mark,” he says of Kovacs. “If you have a coach that’s stern and on you, man, you’re like, ‘I’ve got to wake up, and I gotta do it.’” “It’s starting to come together, and it feels good.” Mensik is defending 1000 champion’s points from 2025, while Tiafoe faces his last hard-court chance at home until July. They met once in Davis Cup last year, Mensik winning 6-1, 6-4. At 6’5, Mensik can be devastating when his serve is clicking; Tiafoe brings a more varied game and renewed enjoyment of the grind. Winner: Tiafoe

Andreeva vs Mboko
Both teenagers are already Top 10 players and this will be their third singles meeting of 2026. They have also teamed in doubles at Indian Wells and Miami. They split their first two matches: Andreeva won the Adelaide final earlier in the year; Mboko edged the Doha meeting 7-6 in the third set in the third round. Records this year favor Mboko (18-5) over Andreeva (14-5). Andreeva offers excellent defensive range and a clean backhand but can be volatile. Mboko runs well, hits deceptively hard from both sides, shows fewer emotional swings and has a knack for comebacks. On fairly quick hard courts and with a supportive crowd expected, pick Mboko. Winner: Mboko

Bencic vs Anisimova
Both were touted as teen prodigies who have rebuilt careers. The American is ranked sixth and the Swiss is 12th, making this a high-powered fourth-round matchup. They are 2-2 head-to-head, with Bencic winning their only meeting in the last three years in Indian Wells last spring. Anisimova is an attacker with a 5’11 frame and excellent timing who often belted the ball at top speed. Bencic is a counter-puncher and power-absorber with soft hands and court sense who likes to take opponents’ pace and redirect it.

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.