What went unsuitable for Alcaraz on the US Open -- and what it means for the event

NEW YORK — After a dominant summer season that noticed him win the titles on the French Open and Wimbledon — turning into simply the sixth man to win each in the identical season — Carlos Alcaraz was handed his earliest exit at the US Open with a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 loss to world No. 74 Botic van de Zandschulp.

Enjoying within the second night time match on Arthur Ashe Stadium in entrance of a vigorous crowd, the third-seeded Alcaraz was the heavy favourite to win and Van de Zandschulp acknowledged he must play his greatest tennis forward of the match to have an opportunity.

“Hopefully he is not 100%,” he joked with ESPN’s Brad Gilbert. “, I would like just a little assist tonight.”

However whereas he confirmed no indicators of any bodily illnesses, Alcaraz was flat from the beginning, and Van de Zandschulp seized the chance. He then managed to stave off Alcaraz’s makes an attempt at a comeback, successful in two hours and 19 minutes.

When it was over, Van de Zandschulp confirmed the slightest trace of a smile earlier than shaking fingers with Alcaraz on the internet.

“I am just a little bit misplaced for phrases,” he instructed ESPN’s Mary Joe Fernandez on courtroom moments later. “It has been an unimaginable night right here. First night time session for me on Arthur Ashe. Crowd was superb, so thanks for that. Yeah, unbelievable night time.”

Alcaraz turned the primary males’s participant seeded within the high three to lose earlier than the tip of the second spherical on the US Open since 2006.

So, what simply occurred and what does it imply for the remainder of the event? Listed below are some key takeaways from Thursday’s surprising upset.

The busy schedule and floor modifications might need caught as much as Alcaraz

A four-time main champion at simply 21, Alcaraz has made successful main titles look simple. However — spoiler alert — it is something however.

Alcaraz had misplaced his first-round match in Cincinnati earlier this month — his solely tuneup occasion earlier than the event — and dropped a set in his opening-round match towards qualifier Li Tu on Tuesday. Having gone from clay to grass after which again to clay for the Olympics earlier than the beginning of the hard-court season, Alcaraz mentioned it had taken its toll, and the grind of the extraordinary summer season schedule had caught up with him.

“The tennis schedule is so tight,” he mentioned Thursday, simply moments after the loss. “I have been enjoying numerous matches recently, , with Roland Garros, with Wimbledon, Olympic Video games. … Most likely I got here right here with not as a lot vitality as I believed that I used to be going to return [with].”

Throughout Thursday’s match, Alcaraz appeared confused from the beginning. He mentioned he had anticipated Van de Zandschulp would make a slew of errors and had deliberate accordingly. Nevertheless, when Van de Zandschulp did not do this, he mentioned he did not know the best way to modify.

“I did not know the best way to handle that, the best way to cope with it,” Alcaraz mentioned. “I could not enhance my stage.”

He had 27 unforced errors through the match and had a vital double fault throughout a key second late within the second set. He has by no means earlier than come again to win when two units behind, and he wasn’t in a position to do it Thursday both. It marked the earliest Slam exit for Alcaraz since Wimbledon in 2021.

Alcaraz vowed to be taught from the expertise and hoped it will assist him enhance going ahead.

Van de Zandschulp was prepared for the second

Whereas many on social media claimed to not know who the 28-year-old Dutchman is, he is no stranger to the second week in New York. In 2021 — the identical yr he made his main debut on the Australian Open and with simply 5 ATP wins to his title — he got here by way of qualifying and made all of it the best way to the quarterfinals. He shocked then-No. 8 seed Casper Ruud within the second spherical and 11-seed Diego Schwartzman within the Spherical of 16. He misplaced to eventual champion Daniil Medvedev within the quarterfinals however was the one participant within the event to take a set off him.

So, all that’s to say, he has been right here earlier than.

And he channeled that earlier expertise Thursday. Regardless of having performed only one match on the arduous courtroom since March previous to the US Open, having not received back-to-back tour-level matches all season, and with a 1-3 file in majors on the yr, Van de Zandschulp was not deterred. As he later instructed Fernandez, he believed he might win. He mentioned he had come into the match with a plan to be aggressive, and instantly stopped Alcaraz’s rhythm, not permitting him to hit a single winner within the first set.

Botic van de Zandschulp simply knocked Carlos Alcaraz out of the US Open! pic.twitter.com/QK3ZrkoPgx

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2024

As anticipated, Alcaraz raised his stage within the second set — however so did Van de Zandschulp.

Total, he received 28 of 35 internet factors, had 22 winners and, in line with Alcaraz, merely gave away only a few free factors.

“He performed nice. He performed actually good tennis,” Alcaraz mentioned.

Van de Zandschulp later confessed he was nervous however outwardly confirmed few indicators of it — hardly ever displaying feelings of any variety.

“In fact I had some nerves, however I feel if you wish to beat one in every of these guys, it’s important to be unbelievably calm and preserve your head there,” Van de Zandschulp mentioned. “In any other case they take simple benefit of it.”

It was his seventh win over a top-10 opponent and first in a serious.

The lads’s title is actually up for grabs

Even previous to Thursday night time’s upset, the event was already thought of one of many extra wide-open majors for the lads in latest reminiscence.

Alcaraz was a slight betting favourite to win the trophy, with defending champion Novak Djokovic and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner proper behind him within the odds, however there have been questions for all three getting into the event. Earlier than successful Olympic gold (over Alcaraz within the ultimate), Djokovic hadn’t received a title all yr, and it was the worst begin to a season for him since 2006. Sinner has been going through heavy scrutiny following the announcement of two failed drug assessments in March.

Djokovic and Sinner stay in rivalry, however neither has seemed flawless of their two respective matches. Alcaraz would have doubtlessly confronted Sinner within the semifinal, and Djokovic is on the opposite aspect of the draw.

So now, as an alternative of Alcaraz, Van de Zandschulp will face No. 25 seed Jack Draper on Saturday with a spot within the second week on the road. The winner of that match will tackle both David Goffin or Tomas Machac, who’re each unseeded. No. 10 seed Alex de Minaur is the highest-ranked participant left within the quarter of the draw.

Tommy Paul, the No. 14 seed, is the one American remaining on that aspect of the draw, and he might doubtlessly play Sinner, who’s subsequent in motion towards Christopher O’Connell on Saturday, within the fourth spherical. If Paul have been to drag off that upset, a visit to his first main ultimate would possibly very properly be in attain. Medvedev can be within the high half of the draw and searching for his fourth ultimate look in Queens.

Djokovic will subsequent tackle Alexei Popyrin, the No. 28 seed and reigning Canadian Open champion, on Friday. Individuals Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz and Brandon Nakashima all stay within the draw, as do Ruud, Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev, as potential threats for Djokovic as he makes an attempt to achieve the ultimate.