Novak Djokovic delivered a masterclass performance in the fourth round of the Miami Open, producing arguably his most dominant display since lifting the trophy at the 2025 Australian Open. Facing off against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, the Serbian legend showcased his trademark precision and power, breezing through the match with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 win. He strung together 12 of the final 14 games, dismantling his opponent with ruthless efficiency and stamping his authority as a genuine title contender.
This emphatic victory marked Djokovic’s first trip to the Miami Open quarter-finals in nearly a decade — a milestone he last reached in March 2016. However, just as the tennis world began to anticipate another Djokovic deep run, clouds of uncertainty formed around his next fixture due to his opponent, Sebastian Korda, nursing a troubling wrist issue.
Korda, who battled past Gael Monfils in three tightly contested sets (6-4, 2-6, 6-4), revealed after the match that his wrist had flared up again — an alarming development considering his history with injuries.
“It’s [the wrist] pretty painful right now, we’ll see how it goes tomorrow,” the American admitted.
“Will do a lot of work with my physio now, we’ll see how it is tomorrow.
“I got pretty negative [after the injury]. Just kind of had to refocus and get positive again.
“It’s great [to be into his fourth Masters 1000 quarter-final]. I haven’t played a lot of tournaments this year, hopefully I can play some good tennis and see where it takes me.”
Despite emerging victorious against the resurgent Monfils, Korda’s body language during and after the match told a different story. From the second set onward, his movement and shot execution looked increasingly compromised. The discomfort ultimately forced him to pull out of his scheduled doubles match with Jordan Thompson, forfeiting to the team of Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara.
This fresh setback adds to a troubling pattern for the world No. 25. Korda’s wrist issues first emerged in late 2022 and escalated during the 2023 Australian Open, where he reached the quarter-finals before succumbing to injury and embarking on a three-month rehabilitation period.
Reflecting on that challenging phase, Korda once shared: “I was out for three months, and just had to re-learn, basically, all the tennis stuff that I did, especially with the wrist.
“Basically every single practice, every single forehand that I hit, I was kind of just praying that it would stop hurting, and it just never would.”
As if the wrist troubles weren’t enough, Korda also underwent elbow surgery in October 2024, which prematurely ended his season. Despite these setbacks, 2025 has seen glimmers of a revival. He made the final in Adelaide — narrowly losing to Felix Auger-Aliassime — and pulled off a stunning straight-sets win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Miami third round, signaling a return to top form.
If Korda manages to recover in time and take the court against Djokovic, fans could be treated to a thrilling contest — a rematch of their only previous encounter at the 2023 Adelaide final. That clash saw Djokovic come from the brink of defeat, saving a championship point and eventually prevailing 6-7(8), 7-6(3), 6-4 in a gripping showdown.
Recalling that encounter, Djokovic shared: “He had a really good start of the match, I started a little bit slow.”
“I knew if I give him time, he’s going to make his shots. He’s so talented. It was tough, particularly in the first seven or eight games. It was a momentum shift, I tried to use that.
“I served well, it makes your life easier on the court. You get some easy shots. Overall, it was a great match.”
Whether or not the Miami crowd gets to witness a sequel to that clash remains uncertain. But one thing’s for sure — Djokovic is in menacing form, and if Korda is fit to meet him, the fireworks are all but guaranteed.