India, March 25 -- Carlos Alcaraz's rollicking start to the 2026 season, where he surged to a 17-0 record with titles at the Australian Open and Qatar, came to a halt earlier this month as he suffered back-to-back setbacks. After a semifinal loss to Daniil Medvedev at Indian Wells, the Spaniard was handed a shock defeat by Sebastian Korda in the third round of the Miami Open last Monday.

Most experts have downplayed the losses, attributing them to mental fatigue, a phase Alcaraz is expected to overcome ahead of the crucial clay-court swing, beginning with the Monte-Carlo Masters in early April. That fatigue was visible during the Korda loss, where the Murcian let out a cry of despair after being broken early in the second set and appeare...