Botic van De Zandschulp stuns Carlos Alcaraz out of the US Open

US Open, 

Friday, 30 August, 2024 

McCreadie Andias 

World Number 3 Carlos Alcaraz’s 15-match Grand Slam unbeaten run ended at the US Open with a shocking 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 defeat to 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round on Thursday night.

Alcaraz who came into the US Open as the favorite after Sucessful triumphs at the French Open and Wimbledon could only imagine of an early exit from a potential season treble. 

In a double fault that trailed him two sets down, a frustrated Alcaraz couldn't get a hold of his routine powerful shots against the 29-year-old Dutchman. 

The 21-year-old came in with a 16-2 record at the US Open, where he never had been eliminated before the quarterfinals in three previous appearances. This also was Alcaraz’s earliest loss at any major tournament since bowing out in the second round of Wimbledon in 2021 as a teenager; he’s never lost in the first round at a Slam event.

The opening set Thursday was unbelievably lopsided. With van de Zandschulp’s powerful forehands and serves at up to 132 mph finding their marks, Alcaraz never seemed to get comfortable — even if he had won their past two matchups.

Alcaraz did not produce a single winner in that set and was nearly doubled up in total points, 24-13. The second set was a bit better for him, but not enough so, and a double-fault gift-wrapped a service break that put van de Zandschulp up 6-5. 

When Alcaraz pushed a forehand wide to end the next game, van de Zandschulp finished off a hold at love that gave him the initial two sets after 1 1/2 hours of action.

Didn’t take long for Alcaraz to fall behind by a break in the third, too, at 3-2, but he made a stand immediately — well, with some help, because van de Zandschulp’s double-fault ceded a break that made it 3-all. Alcaraz then held at love and smiled as he strutted to the changeover.

That smile was quickly gone, though, because Alcaraz's mistakes kept arriving, and van de Zandschulp never folded.