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26 Mar 2026 | 00.55
Martín Landaluce has been the big surprise of the Miami Open 2026. The Spanish tennis player has had the best tournament of his career by reaching his first Masters 1000 quarterfinals, where he lost to Jiri Lehecka. After the match, Landaluce talked about his future aspirations in a tournament that could mark a turning point in his career.
At just 20 years old, the sky is the limit for Martín, who has realized that he has all it takes to achieve great things on the ATP circuit. He has defeated big names like Luciano Darderi, Karen Khachanov, or Sebastian Korda, and has competed on equal terms with another top player like Jiri Lehecka. Now that he is on the brink of the top 100, he knows it's time to take a step forward and keep working in the same dynamic to capitalize on leaving Miami with soaring confidence, as revealed in an interview published by 'Ubi Tennis'.
Level shown at the Miami Open 2026
"It's been an incredible week. In the recent months and weeks, I had faith that I could achieve something important in these tournaments, but I didn't think big like I did here. Today, I didn't play as well as I would have liked, but it was a tough match. Jiri played very well, served well, so I am trying to learn from him to improve and continue on this path. I believe I am playing at a very high level. I think I belong at this level, and if I keep playing like this, improving in every aspect, I believe I can achieve great things."
Key moments in the match against Lehecka
I think he served really well today. I wasn't quick enough, neither mentally nor physically, to return his powerful serves. He had quite easy service games, while I faced some difficulties. I tried to feed off the crowd's energy and play better than him, and in the second set, I had my chances.
I had a break point opportunity, my service games were smoother, and his a bit shakier. However, in that game, he played very well. He is an incredible player, has been in these situations more times than me, and was hitting excellent shots. I made some mistakes, but I gave it my all, and I think it was a very evenly contested match."
What changed in this tournament
"I think the projects I was working on intertwined. Throughout my career, and also this year, I thought good things would come, but I didn't believe it was 'my moment'. I thought things would come, but what has changed in the last two weeks is precisely this: the moment is now. I don't want to wait; I know good things will come, but I want them to come now. I put it into practice in the past weeks, especially in this tournament, and I think that has been the change."
Learnings from this week
"This week brought me a lot, and beyond the points and matches I won, it was especially important for the confidence and the certainty that I was there, that I had a very high level, and that I could challenge the best players; that's what I take away. Ultimately, being close to the top 100 makes me happy, but I can aspire to much more, and that's what I want. It's true that reaching the Grand Slams is a near goal, as well as climbing in the rankings, but my ultimate goal is to go far. Seeing what I am capable of, I want to keep working in the same line, with the same dynamic. I know that if I don't let negative obstacles stand in my way and start working immediately, good things will come."
Favorite moment of the week
"My favorite moment was seeing that, as I progressed through the rounds, more and more family members could come to see me; they could accompany me, were in the box cheering for me, and that's the best part. Being able to share great results with them and being in the best tournaments. It's also great that, after a victory, you have that day off to reflect, talk with my team and my family about what I did well and be able to enjoy it."
Support from Nadal
"I heard he watched some videos of my matches and talked about me, and it makes me very happy. I am very proud to be in this situation, for him to talk about me and know where I can improve. I'll see him at the academy, so I hope we can chat a bit and see what I can improve. So far, I haven't received any message from him."
Match accumulation
"Considering the type of serve he has, the power with which he strikes it, and the precision with which he directs it, I would have needed a little more from me today. I've been feeling a bit limited; my back has been hurting for a few days, and a bit more today. That didn't prevent me from reaching the level I wanted, and I think I did quite well, so there are no excuses. He pushed me well, and I failed a bit in running for the ball, hitting the forehand better, and causing him more trouble with the second serve. He did his job, and I think part of what I couldn't do was more due to him than to me."
Seven matches in ten days
"Yes, it might have influenced. Also, because it was my first match on the center court, while he had already played there; he has played in big stadiums much more than me, and from the beginning, everything was a bit different. The ball was a bit slower; I had to change something to cause him more trouble because my shots were falling short, which wasn't happening to him. The fact that I came from the qualifying round also influenced; I played yesterday and couldn't rest, while he has one of the best physiques on the circuit and is very well prepared for this kind of match. There were small details that made the difference and, in the end, they were two very evenly matched sets that could have ended in my favor with a little more."
Crucial first-round match
"Because of the level demanded on weeks like this and the few matches I've won this year, it's necessary to win difficult matches. I had lost to that opponent, McDonald, the previous week, with match points in my favor, in a Challenger of 175 that could have been a favorable tournament for me, and I felt I was already knocking on the door. As if I was getting closer to achieving great things.
In these tournaments... Yesterday, I had match points against me, on other days, I lost a set and was a break down in the second; matches are decided by small details. When those incidents favor you, they give you a lot of confidence. When they turn against you, you have a bit more doubts. These are matches where, if you lose them, you think: 'You're there, the level is there, nothing will happen.' But when you win them, you realize how important they are, and clearly that was the case this week because things went very well for me."
Alcaraz's revenge against Korda
"I think Sebastian played incredibly against him, and I knew I had to play a very good match. I would have liked to play against Carlitos; we will undoubtedly face each other again, but it's nice to have that feeling people talk about: that when you defeat one Spanish player, another one shows up. I am very happy about that and look forward to playing against him many times."
Plans for the upcoming tournaments
"Monte Carlo is a tournament that all players consider one of the best on the circuit, and I am evaluating in which tournaments to participate. Before this week, we had already defined some tournaments, but decisions have changed a bit, as well as the options. For now, I am not entirely sure where I will play, but yes, I always want to participate in the most important tournaments, and I know I am capable of doing well."
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Landaluce: "Estar cerca del top 100 me pone feliz, pero puedo aspirar a mucho más"
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