A blunt Carlos Alcaraz said he played at “a poor level” in his surprise Miami Open second-round defeat by David Goffin.
Four-time major champion Alcaraz struggled for consistency in a 5-7 6-4 6-3 loss to Belgium’s world number 55 Goffin.
Spain’s Alcaraz had won the Miami Open title in 2022 and reached the semi-finals at Indian Wells last week.
“I thought I was going to play really good tennis but it didn’t happen,” Alcaraz, 21, said.
“I didn’t feel well in my legs – I wasn’t injured, I wasn’t sick. I was feeling perfectly before the match.
“In general, it was a poor level from me.”
By contrast, Novak Djokovic snapped his three-match losing streak with a 6-0 7-6 (7-1) victory over Australia’s Rinky Hijikata.
Alcaraz committed 42 unforced errors against Goffin, who is the first player outside the top-30 to beat the world number three.
“It’s that kind of night that I will remember for sure – against Carlos and in a stadium like that,” Goffin said.
