In a major upset at this year's US Open, Spanish top seed Carlos Alcaraz saw his hopes of defending his Grand Slam title come to an early end after suffering a straight-sets defeat to unseeded Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round. The 21-year old Alcaraz, who had won 15 consecutive matches at the majors, capturing titles at the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year, struggled from the outset and was broken three times in the opening set which he lost 1-6.
While Alcaraz showed glimpses of his shot-making ability by holding serve in the first game of the second set, his unforced error count remained high. Van de Zandschulp proved too solid, breaking for a 2-1 lead. Alcaraz hit back immediately but a costly double fault handed the break back as his opponent leveled the match. The third set followed a similar pattern, with Alcaraz failing to find enough first serves as Van de Zandschulp closed out the big upset.
After the match, the World No. 74 Van de Zandschulp admitted he was nervous taking on the reigning US Open champion but believed in his chances from the beginning. For Alcaraz, it marks a disappointment not to build on his summer success, with errors under pressure ultimately proving his downfall. His early exit leaves the men's draw at Flushing Meadows wide open as the tournament enters its second week.
