Carlos Alcaraz, the electrifying Spanish tennis star, walked off the Miami Open court in a daze, his head bowed after a stunning upset that no one saw coming. The 21-year-old, a four-time Grand Slam champion and the tournament’s second seed, had just been toppled in the second round by David Goffin, a 34-year-old Belgian veteran ranked 55th in the world. The final score—5-7, 6-4, 6-3—told the story of a match that slipped through Alcaraz’s fingers, leaving him grappling with a rare back-to-back defeat and a bruised sense of confidence. As the sun set over Hard Rock Stadium, the young phenom’s frustration was palpable, while Goffin basked in the glow of a victory he described as a career-defining moment.
The match began with Alcaraz showing flashes of his trademark brilliance. Down a break at 3-4 in the first set, he roared back, leveling the score and eventually snatching the set 7-5 with a display of grit that reminded everyone why he’s a former Miami champion. But the tide turned in the second set. Goffin, a former top-10 player whose career has been marred by injuries in recent years, found his rhythm. He didn’t face a single break point after the opener, breaking Alcaraz’s serve three more times across the next two sets. “I didn’t feel well in my legs,” Alcaraz admitted later, his voice heavy with disappointment. “I wasn’t injured, I wasn’t sick. I was feeling perfectly before the match. But it didn’t happen.”
For Alcaraz, the loss stung deeper than just a stat line. Coming off a semifinal defeat to Jack Draper at Indian Wells, he’d arrived in Miami—a place where he’d triumphed in 2022—hoping to reclaim his momentum. Instead, he found himself undone by 43 unforced errors, 28 of them off his usually lethal forehand. “It was a poor level from me,” he said candidly, reflecting on a performance that never hit the heights he’d envisioned. “When you don’t have the confidence of your level physically, it’s really tough to maintain good tennis.” Mentally, the toll was even heavier. “I’m screwed, to be honest,” he confessed, laying bare the emotional wreckage of crashing out in a tournament he holds dear. “Losing in the first round hurts a lot.”
Goffin, meanwhile, was a portrait of poise and precision, turning the match into a masterclass of tactical aggression. He credited his success to a bold approach against Alcaraz’s serve. “I think it was key to be aggressive from the return, especially on his second serve,” he explained, his eyes still alight with the thrill of the upset. “Sometimes he hits the target on the first serve and you cannot do anything. The key was, even if I missed, I had to be aggressive. If you’re too passive, then he has his forehand or… everything. You’re dead.” His strategy paid off, winning him 45 percent of second-serve return points and 17 of 24 net approaches, a stat line that showcased his willingness to take risks against a player 13 years his junior.
This wasn’t Goffin’s first dance with Alcaraz—he’d beaten him in 2022 in Astana—and now he holds a 2-1 edge in their head-to-head battles. At 34, with a career that’s seen him climb as high as No. 7, Goffin savored the moment. “It feels amazing,” he said, his voice tinged with pride. “That’s why I continue to play tennis, to have that kind of match in a stadium, to play some good tennis.” The victory propelled him into the third round against American Brandon Nakashima, a matchup he’ll enter with newfound confidence after becoming the first player outside the top 30 to defeat Alcaraz this season.
For Alcaraz, the defeat dashed any chance of overtaking Alexander Zverev for the No. 2 ranking, a goal that had been within reach with a deep run in Miami. Now, as he prepares to transition to the clay season—where he’s historically thrived—the Spaniard faces a moment of reckoning. “I thought that I was going to play really good tennis,” he said, replaying the pre-match optimism that crumbled under the weight of reality. Goffin’s triumph, on the other hand, was a reminder of the magic that can still spark from a veteran’s racket, a night he’ll carry with him as proof that age and rank are no match for heart and hustle. As the tennis world turns its eyes to the next chapter, Alcaraz’s resolve and Goffin’s resurgence promise a gripping sequel.
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