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Rafael Nadal shuts down Carlos Alcaraz overreaction after Miami Open loss: ‘Are we really going to worry?’
Rafael Nadal was quick to shut down the narrative around Carlos Alcaraz, saying the criticism is overblown.
The two back-to-back setbacks in the Sunshine Double in less than a week have left many sounding the alarm bells for Carlos Alcaraz. Even more so after his shocking third-round exit at the Miami Open last Monday against American Sebastian Korda. But Rafael Nadal was quick to shut down the narrative, saying the criticism is overblown.
After a 17-0 start to the 2026 calendar year — which included a historic Australian Open title and another in Qatar — Alcaraz’s unbeaten run was snapped in the Indian Wells semi-finals by Daniil Medvedev. The following week, he suffered a second consecutive early exit at the Miami Open, losing to Korda in three sets.
Speaking at an event in Madrid on Tuesday, Nadal said the questions, doubts and criticism surrounding Alcaraz’s dip are exaggerated.
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“I mean, when he’s just come off winning the Australian Open, he’s won seven Grand Slams, he’s No. 1 in the world… So, what? Is he supposed to win all the matches in a year?” Nadal told reporters.
“That’s never going to happen. So there’s your answer.”
Nadal understands the pressure of expectations in Spain. He rose to fame as a teenager and made history early in his career, and later stepped away from the game as a legend, with 22 Grand Slam titles and 209 weeks as world No. 1.
“Are we really going to worry about two defeats? I don’t think so,” Nadal said. “That doesn’t make sense, and we shouldn’t demand more from him.”
After a title-less March, Alcaraz will now shift his focus to the clay-court swing, which begins with the Monte Carlo Masters in early April. The 22-year-old will be defending 4,320 points across four tournaments, including the French Open, leaving his world No. 1 ranking under threat with rival Jannik Sinner closing in. Sinner has already reached the quarter-finals in Miami, where he was the defending champion.
