Carlos Alcaraz Suffers Surprise Defeat to David Goffin at Miami Open

World number three Carlos Alcaraz admitted he “was not feeling great” after suffering a shock early exit from the Miami Open. Belgian veteran David Goffin came from behind to defeat the Spaniard 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

Goffin, 34, had beaten Alcaraz in their last meeting three years ago in Astana. On Friday at Hard Rock Stadium, he took advantage of Alcaraz’s struggles in the first set and went on the attack.

Currently ranked 55th in the world, Goffin – who once reached as high as number seven in 2017 – hit some brilliant winners while Alcaraz made several unforced errors.

Goffin led by a break in all three sets. Although Alcaraz recovered to win the first set, Goffin kept his composure to take control and seal the win.

“It’s the kind of night I will always remember – against Carlos and in a stadium like this,” said Goffin. “This gives me a lot of confidence to keep going.”

Speaking after the match, Alcaraz was honest about his performance. “In general, it was a poor level from me. I didn’t play well,” he said. “I felt heavy in my legs even though I came into the match feeling good.”

“I thought I was going to play really good tennis, but it didn’t happen. In the third set, I was a break down and not feeling great or confident physically – it was really tough to come back,” he added.