Another disappointment in Florida
Carlos Alcaraz is running on empty. The Spaniard slipped to Sebastian Korda on Sunday, dumped out in the third round of the Miami Masters 1000 (6-3, 5-7, 6-4). Florida hasn’t been kind to the world No.1 — Alcaraz won here in 2022 but now he’s suffered two early exits in a row. David Goffin already sent him packing on his first match here last year. Observers noticed his on-court mood straight away. He wasn’t his usual, hungry self. His body language said he wasn’t enjoying it. He even admitted mid-match that he just didn’t have the motivation.
Mental fatigue — and he’s owning it
He spoke to his coach Samuel Lopez at the start of the second set and said he was just trying to limit the damage. He was talking tidy, salvaging scores like 6-3, 6-4 or 7-5. His team tried to lift him. He answered like a man beaten by his own will, repeating he was exhausted and wanted to go home. He gritted out the second set but ran out of steam in the decider. The mental energy wasn’t there. That conclusion was reinforced in the press conference — the 23-year-old said he urgently needs to switch off. He has to find the desire to play again before the clay season.
It’s not just him — opponents have stepped up
This psychological block echoes last season but it’s different now. Last year he doubted his fitness and his tennis. Today the bigger issue is the opposition. He sees opponents raising their level across the board — he noticed it at Indian Wells too. He’ll have to accept being the one everyone targets. The man with seven Grand Slam titles is going to rest. He plans to spend time with family and friends while his team decides how long the break will be. He’ll return to training afterward. The clay season is the next big aim — he pulled off a thunderous comeback in Monte-Carlo last year in similar circumstances.
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