New York, Aug 30 (UNI) In a stunning upset at the US Open on Thursday, Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp, ranked 74th in the world, defeated Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4. This surprising result ends Alcaraz’s bid to become just the third man in the modern era to win the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open in the same season.
Alcaraz, the world number three and reigning 2022 champion, had reached at least the quarter-finals in each of his previous three appearances in New York. This loss marks his earliest Grand Slam exit since a second-round departure at Wimbledon in 2021.
Reflecting on his remarkable win, van de Zandschulp said, “I’m a little lost for words. It was an incredible evening, especially playing my first night session on Arthur Ashe. I managed some unbelievable points at the net. I tried to stay calm, as you have to keep your head against these top players, or they will take advantage.”
Alcaraz, who had struggled through a four-set victory over Australian qualifier Li Tu in his opening match, appeared on court with his left thigh heavily strapped. Yet, physical issues were not his biggest problem as he failed to find his rhythm. He dropped serve twice in the first set and did not hit a single winner against van de Zandschulp, who previously reached the US Open quarter-finals in 2021.
In the second set, Alcaraz squandered early break points, allowing van de Zandschulp to take a 2-1 lead. Although Alcaraz managed to equalize at 2-2, van de Zandschulp broke serve again to lead 6-5 and clinched the set when Alcaraz’s return sailed wide.
Facing a two-set deficit for the first time in his career, Alcaraz fought to level the third set at 3-3 but was broken once more in the ninth game. Van de Zandschulp sealed his victory with Alcaraz’s 27th unforced error of the match.
This victory makes van de Zandschulp the first Dutchman to defeat a top-three player at a Grand Slam since Richard Krajicek’s win over Pete Sampras in the 1996 Wimbledon quarter-finals. He is also the first Dutch player to achieve this at the US Open since his coach, Paul Haarhuis, defeated Boris Becker in the third round in 1991.
