For the first time since his meteoric rise to the top of tennis, Carlos Alcaraz looked utterly vulnerable on the major stage. The Spanish sensation suffered a mind-boggling straight-set defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round of the US Open on Thursday night (1-6, 5-7, 4-6).
His stellar 15-match Grand Slam winning streak comes to a crushing end, courtesy of a No. 74-ranked player who actually considered quitting the sport in the past. Despite being the No. 3 seed in the tournament, Alcaraz was the betting favorite to claim his second crown in Queens, New York. The warning signs were there, though.
The four-time major champion limped into the US Open, playing what he considered to be one of the worst matches of his young career at the Cincinnati Masters on Aug. 15. Veteran and fan favorite Gael Monfils won the Round-of-32 clash in three sets (best-of-three in non-Grand Slams), but anyone who watched the action knows how out of sorts Alcaraz looked on the court.
The 21-year-old expressed his vehement frustration with his performance in Cincy, giving his many fans hope that he would be extra dialed in at the US Open. Alas, this elite talent was thoroughly outclassed by his Dutch opponent.
As the lively crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium waited for momentum to swing in the other direction, van de Zandschulp displayed excellent composure. He dominated the final two games of the third set, leaving everyone to process this historic upset as they piled into their cars.
Carlos Alcaraz must learn from this gut-punch
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While it is no excuse, one has to wonder if Alcaraz ran out of gas. Although the No. 1 is not next to his name at the moment, the 2024 season may still end up belonging to him. He outlasted Alexander Zverev to win the French Open, bested the legendary Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon Final for the second year in a row and earned the silver medal at the Paris Olympics. Enjoying such a stretch in a four-month period is truly something to behold, but it also comes at a cost.
Looking back, the emotions that poured out of Alcaraz after he fell short versus gold medal winner Djokovic in the Summer Games may not have been solely due to national pride.
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Publish date : 2024-08-29 17:04:00
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