Alcaraz shocked in straight-sets loss at US Open

NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz‘s 15-match Grand Slam unbeaten run ended on the US Open with a sloppy 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 loss to 74th-ranked Botic Van De Zandschulp within the second spherical on Thursday night time, a surprising end result that eradicated the pre-tournament favourite.

This one was laborious to foretell, given Alcaraz’s standing within the recreation, his excellence of late and his opponent’s far-lesser resume.

Alcaraz received the French Open in June and Wimbledon in July to lift his profession complete to 4 main championships, together with taking the title at Flushing Meadows in 2022.

However he by no means discovered his footing in opposition to Van De Zandschulp, a 28-year-old from the Netherlands. Alcaraz was manner off, repeatedly lacking the types of photographs he often makes routinely. After double-faulting to fall behind two units to none — a deficit he has by no means overcome — the No. 3-seeded Alcaraz slung his gear bag over this shoulder and trudged towards the locker room.

Glancing within the path of his coach, 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz pointed his proper index finger at his temple, then wagged that finger, as if to say, “I am not pondering straight.”

He might need been excused for being confused by what was transpiring beneath the closed retractable roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium on a cold night.

The 21-year-old from Spain got here in with a 16-2 file on the US Open, the place he by no means misplaced earlier than the quarterfinals in three earlier appearances. This additionally was Alcaraz’s earliest defeat at any main match since bowing out within the second spherical of Wimbledon in 2021 as a young person; he has by no means misplaced within the first spherical at a Slam occasion.

In distinction, Van De Zandschulp solely as soon as has been to a Grand Slam quarterfinal, getting that far on the US Open in 2021.

In any other case, although, he isn’t somebody most people would have anticipated to tug of this kind of monumental upset. Contemplate: Van De Zandschulp was simply 11-18 for the season firstly of this week and hadn’t received consecutive matches at a tour-level occasion in 2024.

“Truly, I’m somewhat bit puzzled,” he mentioned. “It has been an unimaginable night for me.”

Certain was.

The important thing stat most likely was that Van De Zandschulp received the purpose on 28 of his 35 journeys to the online.

The opening set was lopsided. With Van De Zandschulp’s highly effective forehands and serves at as much as 132 mph discovering their marks, Alcaraz by no means appeared to get comfy, even when he had received their previous two matchups.

Alcaraz didn’t produce a single winner in that set and was practically doubled up in complete factors, 24-13. The second set was a bit higher for him, however not sufficient so, and a double-fault gift-wrapped a service break that put Van De Zandschulp up 6-5. When Alcaraz pushed a forehand extensive to finish the following recreation, Van De Zandschulp completed off a maintain at love that gave him the preliminary two units after 1 1/2 hours of motion.

Did not take lengthy for Alcaraz to fall behind by a break within the third, too, at 3-2, however he made a stand instantly – effectively, with some assist, as a result of 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 grin shortly was gone, although, as a result of Alcaraz’s errors stored arriving, and Van De Zandschulp by no means folded.

“After all I had some nerves, however I believe if you wish to beat considered one of these guys, it’s a must to maintain your calm and maintain your head there,” mentioned Van De Zandschulp, who will face No. 25 seed Jack Draper of Britain within the third spherical on Saturday. “In any other case, they make the most of it.”

Alcaraz is the primary top-three males’s seed to lose throughout the first two rounds on the US Open since 2006, when No. 3-seeded Ivan Ljubicic misplaced within the first spherical to Feliciano López.

Alcaraz had entered the night time 25-1 in majors in opposition to gamers ranked outdoors the highest 50, with the lone loss coming in opposition to No. 95 Mikael Ymer within the second spherical of the 2021 Australian Open.

The Related Press and ESPN Stats & Info contributed to this report.