Carlos Alcaraz Stunned by Botic van de Zandschulp
Carlos Alcaraz Stunned by Botic van de Zandschulp at the US Open
In a jaw-dropping upset at the US Open on Thursday night, Carlos Alcaraz, the tournament’s top-seeded player, saw his 15-match Grand Slam unbeaten streak come to an unexpected end. In a dramatic second-round clash under the retractable roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Alcaraz fell to 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4.
From the start, it was clear that Alcaraz was struggling. After falling behind by two sets—a deficit he had never previously overcome in his career—Alcaraz was seen heading towards the locker room, slinging his equipment bag over his shoulder and signaling frustration to his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero. The match, played in the chilly New York evening, quickly turned into a mental battle for the young Spaniard.
Alcaraz, who won Wimbledon and the French Open earlier this year and was a strong favorite coming into Flushing Meadows, admitted that his biggest opponent was himself. “It was a fight against myself, in my mind, during the match,” Alcaraz said. “I was playing against the opponent, and I was playing against myself, in my mind. A lot of emotions that I couldn’t control.”
Van de Zandschulp, who had a modest season and came into the match with a 11-18 record for the year, seized the opportunity with both hands. His aggressive play and net dominance—winning 28 of 35 net points—proved too much for Alcaraz. Despite a valiant effort to rally in the third set, Alcaraz’s errors and Van de Zandschulp’s relentless pressure ensured that the Dutch player would move on to the third round.
For Alcaraz, who had never lost before the quarterfinals in his previous three US Open appearances and came into the tournament with a 16-2 record at Flushing Meadows, this defeat marks his earliest exit from any major since Wimbledon 2021. It’s a stark contrast to the high expectations that surrounded him.
Van de Zandschulp, on the other hand, will look to continue his surprising run when he faces No. 25 seed Jack Draper in the third round. The upset is a reminder of the unpredictability of tennis and how quickly fortunes can change on the court.
As Alcaraz reflects on this early exit, he acknowledges that the tight tennis schedule might have taken a toll. “Probably, I came here with not as much energy as I thought that I was going to have,” he said, though he was quick to not use it as an excuse.
This shocking result not only disrupts the expected flow of the tournament but also opens up the field, providing an opportunity for other players to step up. For now, the tennis world will watch closely to see how Alcaraz bounces back and how Van de Zandschulp’s unexpected journey unfolds.
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