#NextGenATP star is the lowest-ranked Miami quarter-finalist since 1994

Martin Landaluce has announced himself in style during the 2026 Miami Open presented by Itau, and the #NextGenATP star continued his dream run with another big win on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old Spanish qualifier saved one match point in a dramatic 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 win over home favourite Sebastian Korda to reach the quarter-finals at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

“My grandmother,” Landaluce replied when asked what was on his mind after claiming the win. “She [would have been] 101 last week, and she passed away a few months ago. I wanted to give her the victory.”

Having arrived in Miami without a tour-level win in 2026, Landaluce has now claimed four consecutive victories and, as the World No. 151, he is the lowest-ranked quarter-finalist at the event since World No. 185 Jim Grabb in 1994. The Spaniard is also the first player born in 2006 or later to advance to the last eight at a Masters 1000 event.

Now up 48 places to No. 103 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, Landaluce will next face Jiri Lehecka, who upset World No. 7 Taylor Fritz in three sets, for a place in the semi-finals.

Korda entered his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Landaluce full of confidence after defeating World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round, but the momentum shifted late in the second set. Down match points at 5/6 in the tie-break, Landaluce stepped in to hit a clean backhand winner.

“I needed to go for a nice shot, and I hit a winner,” Landaluce said of the match point. “It’s a nice feeling to get it like that. All the Spaniards try this. They have that fighting spirit. Ferrero, Ferrer, Nadal, Carlitos… I have been watching that my whole career and I’m here right now, so I had to try it.”

The Spaniard followed it up by taking the next two points and leaping in celebration after levelling the match. Landaluce carried that energy into the deciding set, racing to a 3-0 lead and, following a brief dip, he regained control and powered through to claim victory after two hours, 27 minutes.

Korda, who took two medical timeouts to address a lower back issue in the third set, was unable to halt the Spaniard’s momentum. Now on a six-match winning streak in Miami, including qualifying, Landaluce has secured a new career high in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday.

The Spaniard trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy and continues to build on the promise with which he earned his spot at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah last December. Landaluce has qualified for the 2026 PIF ATP Next Gen ATP Accelerator, which offers increased opportunities for players aged 20-and-under.

“It means everything,” Landaluce added, reflecting on his Miami run. “I’m playing really good this week. I knew I had to do it because there are unbelievable players here since the qualies. I’m super happy to be here playing with these amazing players.”

Landaluce first gained attention by winning the 2022 US Open boys’ title at age 16 and he claimed an ATP Challenger trophy in 2024 and 2025. Prior to Miami, he had recorded just two tour-level wins, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. During this run, he has defeated Marcos Giron and Top 20 players Luciano Darderi and Karen Khachanov.

Landaluce