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Botic van de Zandschulp was a massive underdog heading into his second-round match against Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open, with odds as high as 50-1 stacked against him. The 28-year-old Dutch player was widely expected to be no match for Alcaraz, a three-time Grand Slam champion.
However, van de Zandschulp defied the odds in spectacular fashion, dominating Alcaraz in straight sets with a score of 6-1, 7-5, 6-4, in just over two hours. This victory propelled him into the third round at Flushing Meadows and marked one of the most shocking upsets in the history of the US Open.
Van de Zandschulp came out swinging, overwhelming the third seed in the first set. Despite Alcaraz’s attempts to regain control in the second and third sets, the Dutchman held strong, securing his unexpected win.
Alcaraz wasn’t visibly struggling with any injury during the match; instead, it seemed that fatigue might have taken its toll on the 21-year-old, who had recently won the French Open and Wimbledon and secured a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.
Tennis legend John McEnroe speculated that Alcaraz’s intense schedule may have contributed to his performance, suggesting that it might have been wiser for him to take a break after such a demanding season. “In hindsight, he probably would have been better off not playing at all,” McEnroe commented during an interview with Eurosport. He added that expecting Alcaraz to win the tournament under these circumstances was a tall order.
With Alcaraz out of the tournament, the men’s draw has opened up significantly. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who was slated to potentially face Alcaraz in the semi-finals, now has an easier path to the final. The biggest beneficiary in Alcaraz’s section of the draw is 10th seed Alex de Minaur, who now stands as the highest-ranked player in that quarter. Other contenders like 25th seed Josh Draper and 30th seed Matteo Arnaldi will also be eyeing their chances to advance further.
Alcaraz is the highest-seeded player to exit the US Open so far, joining seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz and 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas on the list of early upsets.