Sebastian Korda confirmed on August 1 that he has undergone back surgery, his second surgical procedure in two years. The 26-year-old American has not competed since his fourth-round match at the Miami Masters 1000 in late March, where he pulled off the upset of the tournament by defeating world number one Carlos Alcaraz.
Four months of pain before the surgical decision
The issue, located in the lower back with significant pressure on his sciatic nerve, kept Korda off the court for four months. The American initially tried several conservative treatments to avoid going under the knife, without success. "What a relief," the player wrote on social media after the procedure (atptour.com). "It is time to recover, heal and get back to work."
A promising 2026 season cut short
Korda had started the year in impressive fashion. In February, he captured the Delray Beach title by defeating Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3 in the final, ending an 18-month title drought. His 12-6 record included the upset victory over Alcaraz in the fourth round at Miami, a result that seemed to herald a lasting return to the top 30. The back injury brought that momentum to an abrupt halt and prevented him from building on his early-season form.
Return at the earliest late 2026
A rehabilitation timeline has not been specified. A comeback before the end of the 2026 season remains possible, but the most realistic scenario points toward the Australian Open 2027 in January. At 26, Korda will also need to contend with the ranking drop caused by undefended points from Delray Beach and Miami. This is his second major surgery in two years: in 2025, a stress fracture in his right shin had already kept him off the tour between Roland-Garros and Winston-Salem.
Key figures: 12-6 record in 2026 before the injury, a title at Delray Beach (his third career ATP title) and a fourth-round run at the Miami Masters 1000. Ranked around 40th in the world at the time of his withdrawal from the tour.
