Witness the unexpected defeat of Carlos Alcaraz in Round 2 of the 2024 US Open. Delve into the match highlights and the impact of this shocking result.
Alcaraz’s Shock Exit
One of the biggest upsets to come so far in the 2024 US Open was in the form of a No. 3-seeded Carlos Alcaraz, a player many people thought would make another deep run, falling in the second round to the No. 74-ranked Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4. It was also Alcaraz’s worst outing at Flushing Meadows in what was his fourth consecutive year in the tournament.
The 21-year-old Spaniard, who burst onto the scene with a US Open title in 2022 as a teenager, had never lost before the quarterfinals since his 2021 debut. Last year he was the youngest top seed in the history of the tournament at just 20 years, reaching the semifinals. On Thursday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Alcaraz found himself on the wrong side of history.
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Van de Zandschulp’s Brilliant Performance
The victory by Botic van de Zandschulp over the popular Spaniard was not quite out of the blue. The 28-year-old Dutchman had shown his capabilities in the first round with a straight-sets win over Canadian Denis Shapovalov. History that Van de Zandschulp has had at the US Open was a pretty memorable run in 2021, where he came through the qualifiers, reaching the quarterfinals. But since then, his career had seen ups and downs playing in Challenger exposure and even being rumored for retirement.
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Right from the very beginning of the match, it was not to be van de Zandschulp appearing in the role of an underdog; he was carrying out well-thought tactics of attacking the net at every opportunity. That paid off handsomely as he broke Carlos Alcaraz’s serve early in the opening set and raced away into a 4-1 lead. By the time it dawned upon Alcaraz that he ought to do things differently, this first set had started to get away from him. The Dutchman remained composed as he took the opening set 6-1 in just 30 minutes.
Struggling Alcaraz
Gritty fighter Alcaraz, who kept holding serve in the opening game of the second set, was in a lot of trouble. The whole game was marked by unforced errors, especially on his forehand, allowing Van de Zandschulp to stay in control throughout. The Dutchman, though not power-serving, succeeded in breaking Carlos Alcaraz once more.
With the break, the set had once again turned even at 2-2, but his inconsistency continued to haunt him. Now serving at 5-5, Alcaraz faltered, committing three forehand errors and a double fault to hand the second set 7-5 to van de Zandschulp.
Third Set Decides the Match
As the match spilled into the third set, it felt like Alcaraz’s fightback was coming. The sign of a champion. But the misery for Carlos Alcaraz continued. He lost his serve early in the set, and while van de Zandschulp could not hold onto the break, the Dutchman soon broke again. Even though it stayed at deuce until 4-4 in games, van de Zandschulp’s angled strokes and incessant attack on the Spaniard’s serve told on a 17-year-old.
For nerves of steel, though, when it came to serve for the match at 5-4, there was Van de Zandschulp. In under a minute, he was serving at 40-0. The final point came when his serve went unreturned by Alcaraz and sealed the set at 6-4 and match in straight sets.
Post-Match Reactions
The 19-year-old Spain star looked subdued during the post-match news conference and confessed to feeling “confusion” with the mix of emotions that he felt hard to control during the match. He also confessed to underestimating his opponent and assuming that van de Zandschulp might give him “more free points.” Talking about what had happened on the court, Alcaraz himself said, “I didn’t know how to manage that,” while showing determination to learn from this.
Meanwhile, van de Zandschulp, not shaken, either behind or in front, described his performance as “unbelievably stable.” How he was controlled with placing his emotions in a box to hold his composure during the match gave him the winning advantage.
What’s Next for van de Zandschulp?
For this victory, van de Zandschulp advances to the third round, where he will face Great Britain’s Jack Draper, the No. 25 seed. Draper has been dominant thus far, taking down Argentina’s Facundo Diaz Acosta in straight sets, and will provide a different challenge for the Dutchman. But with the No. 10 seed Alex de Minaur the only remaining Top-10 threat in his section of the draw, van de Zandschulp’s path forward has suddenly opened up decidedly.
Conclusion: Unexpected Defeat
This upset has sent shockwaves not only in the US Open but also has managed to serve as a pointer of how tennis can get really unpredictable. It was a sobering experience that no doubt will serve as motivation in future tournaments for Carlos Alcaraz. For Botic van de Zandschulp, this is the moment for redemption and proof that indeed persistence does pay.