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Sebastian Korda discloses what he’s been working on a lot in training before beating Carlos Alcaraz  

Photo by Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Photo by Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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Sebastian Korda has been quietly making improvements to his game that helped him beat Carlos Alcaraz at the Miami Open.

Korda fell outside the top 50 after a disappointing start to the 2026 season, which saw him lose in the first round of the Australian Open.

However, the American has enjoyed much better results since then, including Korda winning the Delray Beach Open.

This has continued into the sunshine double, with Korda causing a shock victory over Alcaraz, and he has now explained exactly what he has been working on.

Carlos Alcaraz shakes Sebastian Korda's hand after being beaten at the 2026 Miami Open.
Photo by Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Sebastian Korda admitted he had been getting ‘bullied’ too much before working on his forehand

Korda is a former Grand Slam quarterfinalist and has been ranked as high as world number 15, but he has struggled to show this same kind of form over the past couple of years.

Following his 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Alcaraz, Korda was asked about his coaching partnership with former top 40 ATP player Ryan Harrison, which started in 2026.

Korda spoke positively about the impact Harrison has had on him, revealing that they have done a lot of work on his forehand, which he suggested was a shot that players previously picked on.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Korda said in an interview with Tennis Channel. “It’s great he’s a former player as well so he understands what you go through during a match and knows the stress that you go through. We have done a lot of emphasis on ripping my forehand a little bit more and going after it.

“A lot of times I kind of get bullied on that side and now I am trying to bully other people. I feel I have done a really good job on that. I am hitting my spots a bit better and getting to the net as much as possible has been key for us.”

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Ben Shelton looks on at the 2025 ATP Finals
(Getty Images)

When asked more specifically about how this shot worked against Alcaraz, who has arguably the best forehand in tennis right now, Korda explained that he was just going for it until serving for the match in the second set, but he was able to return to this mindset for the deciding set.

“Any time I had a forehand I was just swinging at it. I was not thinking,” explained Korda. “I was kind of in a flow state and that’s where you want to be as a tennis player.

“I did get a bit tight at 5-4 in the second but that’s one of the reasons he is so great, he applies that pressure and you can really feel that. I just did a great job I think with resetting after getting into the third set and getting back to battling and taking care of my serve.”

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Sebastian Korda has now beaten 10 players inside the top 10

Not only was Korda able to showcase the improvements he has made with his forehand, but his victory over Alcaraz was his 10th over a top 10 player.

Three of Korda’s top 10 victories have come at the Miami Open, showing how much he enjoys the conditions at the tournament where he is a two-time quarterfinalist.

This means that of players born since 2000, only Jannik Sinner (60), Alcaraz (54), Felix Auger-Aliassime (25), Holger Rune (20) and Lorenzo Musetti (15) have more top 10 wins than Korda.

YearTournamentTop 10 Player Korda beat
2021Miami Open (R16)Korda beat Diego Schwartzman, 6-3 4-6 7-5
2021Halle Open (R32)Korda beat Roberto Bautista Agut, 6-3 7-6(0)
2022Estoril Open (QF)Korda beat Felix Auger-Aliassime, 6-2 6-2
2023Australian Open (R32)Korda beat Daniil Medvedev, 7-6(7) 6-3 7-6(4)
2023Queen’s Club Championships (R16)Korda beat Frances Tiafoe, 7-6(2) 6-3
2023Shanghai Masters (R32)Korda beat Daniil Medvedev, 7-6(8) 6-2
2024Queen’s Club Championships (R16)Korda beat Grigor Dimitrov, 6-4 3-6 7-5
2024Canadian Open (QF)Korda beat Alexander Zverev, 7-6(5) 1-6 6-4
2025Miami Open (R32)Korda beat Stefanos Tsitsipas, 7-6(4) 6-3
2026Miami Open (R32)Korda beat Carlos Alcaraz, 6-3 5-7 6-4

Korda will not have to deal with a top 10 player in his next match, and instead he will face Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce.

Landaluce is just 20 years old, and he has already knocked two seeded players out of the Miami Open this year in Karen Khachanov and Luciano Darderi.