{"id":100051,"date":"2026-03-23T04:00:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T08:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/?p=100051"},"modified":"2026-03-23T01:52:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T05:52:38","slug":"carlos-alcaraz-losing-momentum-rest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2026\/03\/23\/carlos-alcaraz-losing-momentum-rest\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Carlos Alcaraz Losing Momentum, or Finally Getting the Rest He Needs?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Having started the year with sixteen consecutive wins, an Australian Open title, and a 34\u2011match winning streak dating back to 2025, there&#8217;s no doubt that 22\u2011year\u2011old Carlos Alcaraz is still on the path to greatness. Alcaraz, who remains locked in his rivalry with world No. 2 Jannik Sinner, another record\u2011setter, carries an <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2025\/10\/05\/jannik-sinner-carlos-alcaraz-mentally-stronger\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">aura of intimidation<\/a> every time he steps on court \u2014 but the Sunshine Double didn\u2019t quite demonstrate that.<\/p>\n<h2>The Medvedev Defeat in Indian Wells<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Carlos Alcaraz vs Daniil Medvedev EPIC Semi-Final Clash! | Indian Wells 2026 Match Highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cY0j26BQiU8?start=8&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>At ATP Indian Wells in the California desert, Alcaraz was first pushed to three sets by the far lesser\u2011known Arthur Rinderknech, surviving a tricky night match after dropping the opening set in a tiebreak. He later had <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2026\/03\/17\/daniil-medvedev-the-disruptor-big-three\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Daniil Medvedev<\/a> on deck in the semifinals. Medvedev was red\u2011hot, on the cusp of returning to the top 10 and already twice an ATP champion in 2026, and he played without fear against Alcaraz. His serve was a lethal weapon in the first set, and across the match he won more than 70 percent of his second\u2011serve points while facing only one break of serve.<\/p>\n<p>In the second set, even when Alcaraz raised his level and broke for 3\u20131, Medvedev kept dragging him into long, physical rallies, pushed him into errors, and immediately broke back before dominating the tiebreak to close out a 6\u20133, 7\u20136(3) win. It was Medvedev\u2019s first win over a world No. 1 since Wimbledon 2024 and snapped Alcaraz\u2019s 16\u20130 start to the year, a reminder that there is at least one more player on the ATP Tour who can stand up to Alcaraz and Sinner and disrupt their duopoly (Sinner went on to win the tournament, beating Medvedev in the final).<\/p>\n<p>After the match, Alcaraz didn\u2019t appear despondent; he largely praised Medvedev for an<a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/carlos-alcaraz-thinks-daniil-medvedev-153000933.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> \u201camazing\u201d performance and said he had \u201cnever seen Daniil playing like this,\u201d<\/a> framing it as a match where his opponent simply played too well rather than a crisis for his own game. It was onwards to Miami, where the Spaniard was still expected to dominate.<\/p>\n<h3>Korda Stands Up to Alcaraz in Miami<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sebastian Korda STUNS Carlos Alcaraz In Rollercoaster Match \ud83e\udd76 | Miami 2026 Highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/55uq4_xI0fQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s tournament in Miami started against <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2026\/03\/02\/joao-fonseca-wins-mgm-slam-exhibition-in-las-vegas\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Jo\u00e3o Fonseca<\/a>, a talented next\u2011gen player with massive support from the Brazilian diaspora in Florida. Alcaraz\u2019s only title in Miami had come in 2022, he was highly motivated, and he had the edge over Fonseca from the start: he broke once in each set, never faced a break point on his own serve, and landed close to 70 percent first serves while winning around 80 percent of those points. Alcaraz simply outhit Fonseca in what was a great showcase for both, and things were looking up for Carlos.<\/p>\n<p>Then came the third round against Sebastian Korda. The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2026\/02\/24\/sebastian-korda-and-unfulfilled-promises\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">American has always been talented<\/a>; he\u2019s just struggled to stay fit and consistent. Korda, who grew up around tennis as the son of former Australian Open champion Petr Korda, plays a fearless, flat\u2011hitting brand of tennis that allows him to compete with the giants of the sport on his best days.<\/p>\n<p>That best day came on Sunday in Miami. Korda upset Alcaraz 6\u20133, 5\u20137, 6\u20134 to hand the Spaniard his second loss of 2026 and his earliest exit of the year. It took a little over two hours. Korda served brilliantly in the first set, winning more than 80 percent of his first\u2011serve points, broke once, and closed it 6\u20133. In the second, he led 5\u20134 and served for the match before tightening and getting broken to love; Alcaraz went on the charge and stole the set 7\u20135, winning five games in a row from 3\u20135. In the decider, Korda broke again for 4\u20133 with aggressive returning and kept his nerve on serve, taking it 6\u20134 with a big first serve and fearless forehand on his second match point.<\/p>\n<p>Like the loss to Medvedev, Korda out\u2011served Alcaraz, his flat ball off both wings really mattered in rushing Carlos, and the American claimed his first win over a world No. 1.<\/p>\n<h3>\u201cFrustration and Disappointment\u201d \u2014 Or Something More for Alcaraz?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 610px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOBy2U6nTSq\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 3984px; aspect-ratio: 3984\/2656;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<p>Post\u2011match in Miami, Alcaraz expressed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/carlos-alcaraz-reaction-shock-miami-defeat-sebastian-korda\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u201ca little bit of frustration and disappointment\u201d<\/a> over his defeat, saying he had \u201cmany very disputed moments\u201d and chances to do better but \u201ccouldn\u2019t capitalize\u201d and that Korda \u201cwas better\u2026 in those important points.\u201d He still felt he\u2019d played \u201ca good match overall,\u201d echoing his reaction after the Medvedev loss, and talked about accepting that opponents will swing freely against a No. 1 and using this to \u201cplay better in those moments\u201d going forward.<\/p>\n<p>The question ahead of the clay\u2011court season is whether Alcaraz simply ran into opponents in purple patches, serving out of their minds, or whether he\u2019s finally losing a bit of momentum and giving players other than Sinner a clearer blueprint to beat him. Looking at his match record this season, entirely on hard courts, it\u2019s clear the warning signs were there even before the losses.<\/p>\n<p>At the Australian Open, Tommy Paul pushed him in all three sets but couldn\u2019t take one; Alexander Zverev had a visibly ill Alcaraz against the ropes in the semifinal, only to <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2026\/01\/31\/two-semifinals-for-the-ages-how-australian-open-delivered-tennis-greatest-single-day\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">mentally collapse and let the match slip<\/a>. Novak Djokovic, still dangerous but no longer peak Novak, couldn\u2019t sustain a high level in the final. A month later in Qatar, Karen Khachanov took the opening set in a tiebreak and pushed Alcaraz deep into a physical three\u2011setter, and Rinderknech did the same at Indian Wells, leading by a set and a break before Carlos turned it around.<\/p>\n<p>This is not a player who is untouchable so much as one who has been living on those fine margins and winning most of them. In each of those matchups, the style has been broadly similar: big servers, flat hitters, players who don\u2019t back down against his return game and are willing to hit through his heavy topspin. If you serve well enough against Alcaraz, you can get to the finish line \u2014 Medvedev and Korda just proved it.<\/p>\n<h3>The Clay\u2011Court Template<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Carlos Alcaraz&#039;s Best Shots From Title Winning Week In Monte-Carlo!\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YVXaItU2wbM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Now the calendar flips to clay: Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome. Alcaraz has won roughly 85 percent of his tour\u2011level matches on the surface \u2014 better than his hard\u2011court record of around 78 percent \u2014 sitting at 98\u201318 lifetime on clay and undefeated there since losing the Barcelona final to <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2026\/01\/08\/rune-breaks-silence-achilles-injury-return-timeline\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Holger Rune<\/a> last April. Big serving and flat hitting don\u2019t translate as easily on slower clay courts that reward heavy spin, movement, and point construction. That\u2019s why Alcaraz, getting additional rest even if he didn\u2019t want it this way, is just as likely to flip the script when the surface changes and go on another long winning streak.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s not unbeatable, but clay is a tougher surface on which to beat him, and this window may be exactly the rest he needs to lock in and make more history. In the meantime, we get an ATP Miami tournament with space for another star to shine, while Alcaraz resets and gets ready to go again on the clay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Having started the year with sixteen consecutive wins, an Australian Open title, and a 34\u2011match winning streak dating back to 2025, there&#8217;s no doubt that 22\u2011year\u2011old Carlos Alcaraz is still on the path to greatness. Alcaraz, who remains locked in his rivalry with world No. 2 Jannik Sinner, another record\u2011setter, carries an aura of intimidation [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1442,"featured_media":100054,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":true,"sfio_embed_code":"<smartframe-embed customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOBsnDBJmfX\" style=\"width: 100%;max-width: 3984px;aspect-ratio: 3984\/2656\"><\/smartframe-embed><!-- https:\/\/smartframe.io\/embedding-support -->","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10,2,15913],"tags":[18,2749,2777,259,5729,498,8147],"class_list":["post-100051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-atp","category-editorials","category-featured","category-opinion","tag-atp","tag-atp-indian-wells","tag-atp-miami","tag-atp-tour","tag-carlos-alcaraz","tag-daniil-medvedev","tag-sebastian-korda"],"modified_by":"Steen Kirby","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1442"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100051"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100055,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100051\/revisions\/100055"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}