Unseeded Botic van de Zandschulp pulled off a stunning upset against world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, defeating him 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in the second round of the 2024 US Open at Flushing Meadows on Thursday night.
Despite being heavily favoured, Alcaraz struggled from the outset, and while he made attempts to recover, he appeared unprepared for the intense mental and physical challenge posed by his opponent.
At 28 years old, van de Zandschulp had been contemplating retirement due to recent poor performances.
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Alcaraz had been in formidable form, winning 43 of his last 46 major matches, including triumphs at the French Open and Wimbledon.
However, on this particular night, those accolades counted for little.
“I don’t know what to say right now,” a visibly shaken Alcaraz said after the defeat. “First of all he played great. He played really good tennis. I thought he would give me more free points. He didn’t make a lot of mistakes that I thought he was going to make. It was confusing a bit. I didn’t know how to manage that, how deal with it.”
Alcaraz admitted that his performance fell short of expectations, “I couldn’t increase my level. I think my level stayed the same the whole match,” he explained. “It wasn’t enough to win the match or to give myself the chance to get into the match, or try to give myself chances. What can I say? I didn’t feel well hitting the ball. I made a lot of mistakes. When I wanted to come back it was too late.”
Van de Zandschulp, equally surprised by the outcome, expressed his disbelief, “I’m a little bit lost for words,” he remarked in his post-match interview, “but it has been an incredible evening here.”
This victory marked his first-ever win against a top-10 opponent in a Grand Slam and is undoubtedly one of the biggest upsets in tennis history.
Van de Zandschulp took just 31 minutes to dominate the first set, winning 6-1. The stats displayed at Arthur Ashe Stadium showed Alcaraz’s disbelief as he registered no winners and eight unforced errors.
While Alcaraz began to find some rhythm, van de Zandschulp maintained his high level of play and secured a win after a grueling second set that lasted an hour.
After dropping that set, Alcaraz took a break off-court, appearing mentally unsettled.
This loss marks Alcaraz’s third defeat in August, following setbacks at the Cincinnati Open against Gael Monfils on August 15 and in the Olympic gold medal match against Novak Djokovic in Paris on August 4.
When asked if fatigue might have been a factor, Alcaraz conceded, “Probably, yeah. The tennis schedule is so tight. I’ve been playing a lot of matches lately with Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Olympic Games. I took a little break after the Olympic Games. I thought it was enough … Probably it wasn’t enough … But I don’t want to use that as an excuse.”
Known for his athleticism and innovative shots, Alcaraz acknowledged the need to reassess his schedule and consider more rest before major tournaments. However, van de Zandschulp matched his energy throughout the match.
The brief break appeared to help Alcaraz regain some composure, as he tied the third set 3-3, eliciting loud cheers from the crowd. His trademark smile returned as he won the next game, but van de Zandschulp remained unfazed.
Van de Zandschulp delivered the fastest serve of the match at 132 mph, tying the score at 4-4 with an ace.
Initially, the crowd favoured Alcaraz, but by the end of the match, they were equally supportive of the Dutchman. The entire match lasted only two hours and 21 minutes.
The furthest a Dutch player has advanced in a major tournament was the quarterfinals of the 2021 US Open. Van de Zandschulp will now aim to go further as he faces No. 25 seed Jack Draper in the third round.
