- "Confronting MyOwn Self": buzzworthy announcement for Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz, looking puzzled, cast a brief glance at the crowd, then swiftly exited the Arthur Ashe Stadium spotlight. Disappointed with his performance, the title contender struggled to comprehend the shocking upset in recent tennis history. In an unimpressive display, the 2022 US Open champion unexpectedly dropped out in the second round to the Dutch underdog Botic van de Zandschulp, 1-6, 5-7, 4-6.
"It was a mental battle within myself," Alcaraz admitted late at night, searching for the right words in English. "Today, I fought both my opponent and myself. I grappled with numerous emotions that I couldn't contain." The 21-year-old faltered in just 2 hours and 19 minutes, marking his swiftest defeat in New York.
The four-time Grand Slam champion vented his frustration on the court, made gestures to his head, and consulted with his coaches; however, no solution was found. Meanwhile, his opponent, thrilled by the biggest triumph of his career, declared, "I'm at a loss for words. It was an incredible evening for me," into the stadium microphone.
Ranked 74th globally, the 28-year-old van de Zandschulp had not progressed beyond the second round in any ATP Tour event that year. After a lackluster performance at the French Open and what he termed as "the worst match of my career," van de Zandschulp even pondered retirement this summer. "I was just being honest. There was a genuine thought about it," he confessed the following morning, also mentioning past injuries. "If I had to continue playing with the pain, there was a chance I wouldn't persist."
Through smaller tournaments, including one in Lüdenscheid last month, he regained his confidence and eventually managed to stage a remarkable upset against one of the world's top players. The Dutchman had previously reached the US Open quarterfinals as a qualifier three years ago. Alcaraz, on the other hand, claimed Grand Slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon that season and consistently made it to at least the quarterfinals at the US Open.
Alcaraz struggles to win a point in the first set
Alcaraz's form had been declining recently, and his performance started disastrously in this match. In the first set, which finished in just 30 minutes, he failed to win a single point on his serve. After breaking his opponent's serve to tie the score at 2-2 in the second set, Alcaraz let out a roar of relief.
However, van de Zandschulp refused to back down, applying relentless pressure on Alcaraz with his aggressive strategy and winning points at the net. "I expected him to come back with something spectacular," van de Zandschulp remarked. In the third set, he broke Alcaraz's serve to take a 5-4 lead, swiftly securing his victory.
Alcaraz's poor performance in the match was evident in his use of energy, as he relied heavily on his ATP points from previous successful tournaments.
Despite his recent struggles, Alcaraz's ATP ranking still placed him among the world's top players, emphasizing the unpredictability and depth in men's tennis today.
