Carlos Alcaraz Stunned by Van de Zandschulp in US Open Shock

Carlos Alcaraz, the third seed faced a stunning defeat in the second round of the US Open losing to unseeded Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp. Alcaraz, aiming to join Rod Laver and Rafael Nadal as the only players to win the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open in a single calendar year was upended 6-1, 7-5, 6-4. The loss ends his impressive 15-match winning streak at Grand Slams.

Alcaraz struggled throughout the match, making 27 unforced errors compared to Van de Zandschulp’s 21. “I didn’t feel well hitting the ball,” Carlos Alcaraz admitted, reflecting on his inability to mount a comeback. The Spaniard, who won silver at the Paris Olympics, noted he needed more rest before the tournament. Van de Zandschulp, who reached the US Open quarter-finals in 2021 expressed disbelief at his victory.

He will face British number one Jack Draper in the third round. Earlier, world number one Jannik Sinner advanced easily defeating Alex Michelsen 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 to achieve his 50th win of the year. Sinner cleared of wrongdoing after testing positive for a banned substance earlier will play Chris O’Connell next. In other matches, fifth seed Daniil Medvedev beat Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5).

Seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz was eliminated by Jordan Thompson and 16th seed Seb Korda lost to Czech Tomas Machac. French 24th seed Arthur Fils was also defeated by Gabriel Diallo. Australian 10th seed Alex de Minaur advanced by beating Otto Virtanen, setting up a third-round clash with Britain’s Dan Evans. American 14th seed Tommy Paul progressed after Max Purcell retired.

This year’s US Open features a host of upsets with unseeded players and lower seeds making significant impacts.