Carlos Alcaraz gives first thoughts on Clay season 2025 after Miami Open heartbreak

Carlos Alcaraz has given his first thoughts on the upcoming European Clay swing following his Miami Open heartbreak. The Spaniard has been having a topsy-turvy season so far but will look to turn it around for the better during the clay season.

Alcaraz, seeded second at the 2025 Miami Open, was one of the huge favorites to lift the title. In the absence of the defending champion Jannik Sinner, due to his doping suspension, many felt the Spaniard could win his first Masters 1000 of the year in the second stop of the Sunshine Double.

However, in a shocking turn of events, the 21-year-old, who received a bye into the second round due to his seeding, was defeated by Belgian veteran David Goffin. The latter came back from a set down to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 and cause one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.

Carlos Alcaraz then decided to enjoy some padel and visited the Miami Premier Padel P1 event. During his visit, he was asked to give his thoughts on the rest of the season following his Miami Open heartbreak to which the Spaniard responded that he was enthusiastic about gearing up for the upcoming European clay swing, where he will be defending his French Open title.

“Yes, eager and on the way to prepare for the clay season,” he said (translated from Spanish).

One of Alcaraz's biggest goals of the 2025 season was to complete his career Grand Slam at the 2025 Australian Open, however, his dreams were crushed by Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinal. The Spaniard bounced back in resounding fashion by clinching the first indoor hardcourt title of his career at the Rotterdam Open.

He then faced a quarterfinal exit at the Qatar Open to Jiri Lehecka, failed to complete a three-peat at the Indian Wells Masters, and then faced another setback in Miami.

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"Losing my first match hurts" - Carlos Alcaraz opens up about "dreadful" Miami Open heartbreak

Carlos Alcaraz - Source: Getty

While speaking to the media following his Miami Open heartbreak, Carlos Alcaraz admitted that he was feeling 'dreadful' to be eliminated after his very first match.

“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."

Though he initially felt he played good tennis in this first part of the season, the impact of his defeat in Miami has made him unsure about his performance.

“This first part of the season... I said that I felt I was playing good tennis. I was feeling good, but after this defeat, I don’t know what to say. I’m not sure whether, in the coming days, I’ll analyse it or try to forget about it. We’ll see.”

The highlights of the European clay swing will be the three Masters 1000 tournaments in Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome, which will be followed by the grand finale in Paris, the French Open.