Carlos Alcaraz (no. 3) exited in the 2nd round of the US Open. The winner of the 2022 edition lost 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 to the Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp (ATP 74) on Thursday evening in New York.
Crowned at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon this summer, Carlos Alcaraz thus stops at two consecutive Grand Slam titles. The 21-year-old Spaniard, who became the youngest world no. 1 in history after his 2022 victory at Flushing Meadows, struggled in his match at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday.
‘Carlitos,’ who had lost his temper in Cincinnati against Gaël Monfils during his only preparatory tournament after his lost final at the Paris Olympics, showed some fight in the second and third sets by wiping out an early break each time. However, he was never able to believe in a ‘comeback.’
Alcaraz – who has never managed to win after being two sets down – was merely a shadow of himself in the first set where he accumulated 8 unforced errors without hitting a single winning shot. He fared better in the following two sets but gave in each time during the ‘money time.’
‘I am speechless (…) From the first point, I believed in my chances. I defended well. I won a lot of points at the net; my coach wanted me to be more aggressive. I was a bit stressed, but to beat a player like this, you have to be extremely calm,’ commented Botic van de Zandschulp on the court, a former world no. 22 who reached the quarter-finals in New York in 2021.
Medvedev advances
Two-time tournament winner (2018, 2020) Naomi Osaka (WTA 88) was also eliminated in the 2nd round. The Japanese player lost 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) to Czech player Karolina Muchova (WTA 52). Back on the circuit in January after her maternity leave, she had already been stopped in the 2nd round of both Roland-Garros and Wimbledon.
Crowned in 2001 at Flushing Meadows – where he also reached the finals in 2019 and 2023, Daniil Medvedev (no. 5) easily advanced to the 2nd round. The Russian dominated Hungarian Fabian Marozsan 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) on Thursday evening, despite an ineffective serve (10 double faults, 47% first serves, 4 breaks conceded). He will face Italian Flavio Cobolli (no. 31) on Saturday in the 16th round.
/ATS