“Are we really going to worry?” Rafael Nadal shuts down Alcaraz panic after Miami loss

Is it time to start worrying about Carlos Alcaraz?

After bowing out early from the Miami Open for the second year in a row, the Spaniard’s 2026 win-loss record sits at 17–2—but should alarm bells really be ringing?

Rafael Nadal was asked about the 22-year-old’s third-round shock loss to Sebastian Korda during an event in Madrid on Tuesday, and said the questions and criticism are overblown.

“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 of the matches of the year?” Nadal told press.

“That’s never going to happen. So there’s your answer.”

Read More: Sebastian Korda stuns world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz at 2026 Miami Open

Alcaraz's up-and-down Sunshine Swing came to an end on Sunday. In Indian Wells, he reached the semifinals before being upset by No. 11 seed Daniil Medvedev. In Miami, he won just one match—a blockbuster against Joao Fonseca—before falling in three sets to No. 32 Korda on Sunday, marking the American’s biggest career win.

But a title-less March shouldn’t overshadow Alcaraz’s stellar start to the season. Nadal pointed to his Australian Open triumph, which made Alcaraz the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam. He also captured an ATP 500 title in Doha, held on to the world No. 1 ranking, and carried a 16-match unbeaten streak until Indian Wells.

“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.”

Nadal knows the weight of national expectations in Spain. As a teenager, he broke through and rewrote history; more recently, he stepped away from the sport as a veteran statesman with 22 Grand Slam titles and 209 weeks as world No. 1.

Alcaraz’s rapid rise coincided with the closing chapter of Nadal’s storied career, creating what many saw as a seamless changing of the guard in Spanish tennis. But Nadal cautioned against placing too much pressure on a young player still finding his way.

“I think what we all have to do is just congratulate Carlos and thank him for everything that he’s accomplishing,” Nadal said.

“In the end, he’s bringing a number of achievements to Spanish sport that, maybe 25 or 30 years ago, we wouldn’t have imagined...

“Maybe we’ve all gotten too used to it. But I’ve never lost perspective on how difficult the things are that Carlos is doing—or any athlete from Spain, or any other country.”

Read More: Carlos Alcaraz on Miami shocker: “I’m still in the right way” despite Korda upset

Nadal was speaking to the press after a ceremony at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, where he received an honorary doctorate for excellence in sport.

World No. 1 Alcaraz is next scheduled to compete at the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters, where he is the defending champion, from April 5–12.

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