Tennis news: Seeds fall as Miami Open 2026 enters its final stages

The 2026 Miami Open has been rocked by a wave of early upsets, with several top seeds crashing out before the tournament’s final stages. 

As a result, the draw has been blown wide open, leaving an unusually unpredictable path to the title.

Major surprises

Among the biggest shocks was Carlos Alcaraz’s defeat to Sebastian Korda, Daniil Medvedev falling to Francisco Cerúndolo, and former world number one Iga Świątek losing in three sets to compatriot Magda Linette. 

Alcaraz’s loss to Korda was particularly surprising, with the Spaniard failing to reach his typically high standards. 

Korda claimed the opening set 6–3 and carried that momentum into the second before a brief lapse saw him broken twice, allowing Alcaraz back into contention.

Despite the fightback, Korda regrouped under pressure and held firm to secure one of the biggest wins of his career, setting up a fourth-round clash with Martín Landaluce. 

The result also raises questions about Alcaraz’s consistency heading into the clay season, where expectations will once again be high.

“It feels great,” said Korda. “I took the scenic route, that’s for sure, a little more stress than I would want, but I’m happy with how I played.”

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The women’s side

If the men’s draw has delivered surprises, the women’s competition has been just as unpredictable. 

Świątek, the 2022 champion, looked a shadow of her usual dominant self against Linette as she exited in the second round.

The Polish player raced through the first set 6–1 and appeared on course to replicate her emphatic 2023 Beijing victory over Linette. 

However, after a tightly contested second set, featuring 11 holds of serve, Linette found the breakthrough to edge it 7–5.

That proved to be the turning point. Linette held her nerve, saved an early break point in the decider, and gradually took control before sealing a 6–3 victory.

“I’m feeling better than the last time I played her and have a clearer idea of what I need to do,” Linette said post-match. 

“I just keep going, stay focused on the ball, keep striking it — physically it’s easier for me right now than mentally.”

In the aftermath of the defeat, Świątek has parted ways with her coach, Wim Fissette. 

The Belgian joined her team in 2024 and played a key role in her Wimbledon triumph in July 2025.

It has been a difficult start to 2026 for Świątek, who has yet to progress beyond the quarter-finals in any of her four tournaments this season. 

Looking ahead

With the hard-court swing coming to a close, attention now turns to the clay season, where she will look to capture a fifth Roland Garros title at the end of May.

As the tournament enters its final stages, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka remain firm favourites in the men’s and women’s competitions. 

However, with so many seeds already eliminated, challenges from the in-form Arthur Fils and Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina could yet produce more surprises in the Sunshine State.

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