Third seed Carlos Alcaraz experienced a surprising elimination in the second round of the US Open, suffering a comprehensive loss to unseeded Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp.
Alcaraz had aimed to achieve a rare feat, aspiring to join the ranks of Rod Laver and Rafael Nadal as the third man in the Open era to win the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open in the same calendar year.
However, he failed to recover from a shaky start against the 74th-ranked Van de Zandschulp, who secured a notable 6-1 7-5 6-4 victory. This marked the highest-ranked win of his career and ended Alcaraz’s 15-match winning streak at Grand Slams.
This defeat marks Alcaraz’s first second-round loss at a major since Wimbledon in 2021. The crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium were left in disbelief as Van de Zandschulp dominated the first set, dropping just one game.
Alcaraz appeared perplexed and visibly frustrated as he took a time-out, gesturing towards his player’s box. Although he managed to break back and level the third set at 3-3, Van de Zandschulp delivered impressive winners and ultimately secured the crucial break at 5-4 before serving out the victory with a love hold.
The Dutch player seized control early against Alcaraz but admitted waiting throughout the match for the Spanish star to raise his game.
“You think he’s one of the best players in the world? He’s going to come up with a next level,” van de Zandschulp said.
“I’m still processing it,” he said. “Maybe in a couple of hours or tomorrow, I’ll feel a little bit more emotional with what happened tonight.”