'It Was A Poor Level From Me': Alcaraz Brutally Honest After Shock Exit In Miami
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Carlos Alcaraz experienced another shocking loss, and he didn't want to hide behind nice words after his exit from the 2025 Miami Open.
Alcaraz has struggled with his level recently. Of course, he recorded results that many players would be happy about, but he is a four-time Grand Slam champion, and his expectations are somewhere else.
He lost in the quarter-finals in Doha, and he also lost in the semi-finals in Indian Wells, where he was a two-time defending champion. Now, Alcaraz lost in the opening round in Miami.
After exiting the second ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season, the 21-year-old Spaniard didn't want to find any excuses. David Goffin beat him 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, and Alcaraz simply knew that his level was not high enough to win the match.
During his post-match press conference, the two-time Wimbledon champion put all the blame on himself, saying he wasn't able to increase his level during the match like his opponent could.
"It was a poor level from me. I just wanted to play better. After the first set, I thought I was going to be better. He played well, he played good tennis. My level didn't increase. I think his level after the first set increased a little bit."
Despite being very honest about his own level, Alcaraz didn't want to take anything away from his opponent. It was the second time in their last three matches that Goffin managed to beat him, and the Spaniard praised his opponent's level.
"It’s true that I didn’t play well and my level was poor, but you have to give some credit to David. I think he has a game that’s hard to play, even though it may not look like it. It’s hard to face. Tonight he was very solid from start to finish. I thought his level would drop a little, but because I didn’t put him under pressure, I think he stayed confident throughout and it didn’t drop."
Alcaraz also admitted that he felt "dreadful" and that the loss hurt him. He doesn't want to exit tournaments so early. At the same time, this will give him enough time to prepare for the clay-court part of the season. He will be the defending champion at the French Open.
"How am I feeling? Dreadful. Dreadful because of this defeat and because this is a tournament I always want to do well at, and losing my first match hurts."
The Spaniard admitted that he felt like he was ready to give his best in the match. He wasn't injured or sick, but still, he wasn't able to bring his top level.
"I didn't feel well in my legs. I wasn't injured, I wasn't sick. I was feeling perfectly before the match. I felt good, a little bit nervous, which is normal before the match. But nothing more than that. I just felt ready, I thought that I was going to play really good tennis. It didn't happen."
