World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz was dialed-in on Friday, powering past rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca 6-4, 6-4 to reach the third round of the Miami Open.
The 22-year-old Spaniard used an early break in each set and saved all three break points he faced in a confident performance at Hard Rock Stadium, where 19-year-old Fonseca was cheered by a raucous contingent of fans.
Pure ⛳️@carlosalcaraz def. Fonseca, 6-4, 6-4 in a blockbuster match 👏#MiamiOpen | @atptour pic.twitter.com/GPhxBuCOSU
— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) March 21, 2026
"I was really good from the beginning until the last ball," Alcaraz said. "I know how good Joao is and that's why I was really focused, every point, every shot, trying to figure out what is the best possible shot for me."
Alcaraz bounced back from his semifinal loss to Daniil Medvedev at Indian Wells last week to improve to 17-1 in 2026.
That includes an Australian Open title that made him the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam and a title in Doha.
Alcaraz gained the upper hand against 39th-ranked Fonseca with a break for 2-1 in the opening set, delivering a blistering forehand service return winner on break point.
He closed out the set with a love game, broke Fonseca to open the second and secured the victory with his eighth ace on match point.
It was extra satisfying since Alcaraz was stunned in his Miami opener by David Goffin last year.
"He had a lot of chances to stay in the match to (keep it) tight, so I'm just happy to stay calm, stay positive at these moments," said Alcaraz, who next faces American Sebastian Korda, a 6-0, 6-3 winner over Camilo Ugo.
Britain's Jack Draper suffered a surprise defeat to American Reilly Opelka in the second round.
Pure ⛳️@carlosalcaraz def. Fonseca, 6-4, 6-4 in a blockbuster match 👏#MiamiOpen | @atptour pic.twitter.com/GPhxBuCOSU
— Miami Open (@MiamiOpen) March 21, 2026
Draper had arrived in Florida on the back of a quarterfinal run at Indian Wells, just his second ATP Tour event after an extended spell out with an arm injury, but was unable to build on that momentum.
Opelka produced a dominant serving display to beat 25th seed Draper 7-6(3) 7-6(0), firing 25 aces and 47 winners to reach the third round on home soil.
"I didn't have many chances, especially on his serve," Draper told reporters. "I didn't get broken in the match so that was kind of my job, right?"
56th-ranked American Ethan Quinn upset Norway's 11th-seeded Casper Ruud 6-4, 7-6 (9/7), saving seven set points in the second set on the way to victory.
MAIDEN ATP WIN
Japanese wildcard Rei Sakamoto bagged his maiden ATP match win, converting his fifth match point in a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7) first-round victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic.
The 19-year-old ranked 164th booked a showdown with in-form Indian Wells finalist Medvedev.