Photo credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty
NEW YORK—World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz faced a shocking defeat at the US Open, falling 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 to Botic van de Zandschulp under the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Dutchman’s dominant performance left Alcaraz struggling to find his rhythm and searching for answers.
Alcaraz, who has been on a hot streak with back-to-back Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, was aiming to become the first man since Rafael Nadal in 2010 to win three consecutive majors in a single season. However, he was met with fierce resistance from van de Zandschulp, who outplayed him in all aspects of the game.
“It was a fight against myself in my mind during the match,” Alcaraz admitted post-match. “I made a lot of mistakes and couldn’t find a way to elevate my game. It was like a roller coaster in my mind, and I couldn’t manage it.”
The 28-year-old van de Zandschulp, who had not won consecutive main-draw matches all season, delivered one of the biggest upsets in recent US Open history. His aggressive approach paid off as he won 28 of 35 net points and converted six of nine break points.
“I’m a little bit lost for words. It’s been an incredible evening,” van de Zandschulp said after the match. “From point one tonight, I believed I could have a chance, and you see how it sometimes turns out.”
The loss marks Alcaraz’s first Grand Slam exit before the third round since 2021 and his first major defeat since losing to Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open quarterfinals earlier this year. Alcaraz acknowledged that he was caught off guard by van de Zandschulp’s level of play.
“He played really good tennis. I thought he would give me more free points, but he didn’t make many mistakes,” Alcaraz said. “I didn’t feel well hitting the ball and couldn’t find the adjustment I needed. It was too late when I wanted to come back.”
Van de Zandschulp, a 2021 US Open quarterfinalist, continues his run with a third-round match against 25th-seeded Jack Draper. As for Alcaraz, the Spaniard will look to learn from this setback and improve in future tournaments.
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