Carlos Alcaraz unexpectedly lost in straight sets to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round of the US Open on Thursday.
At Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York, the Dutchman, who is ranked 74th in the world, defeated the 21-year-old Spaniard in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4.
The world No. 3 player, who has won the Wimbledon title and an Olympic silver medal in the last two months, battled early and was never able to get back into the game, committing a total of 27 unforced errors.
Van de Zandschulp achieved his first career victory over a top-10 opponent at a major by ending the match with an ace, resulting in one of the biggest upsets in recent memory.
After the game, the supporters erupted in applause for the winner, and Alcaraz thanked him and saluted the assembly before leaving the court.
After the game, Van de Zandschulp reported he was having trouble speaking on the ESPN broadcast.
“This evening has been amazing,” he remarked. “It was my first time attending an Arthur Ashe night session. The crowd was incredible. I’m really grateful for that and for such a great evening.
Van de Zandschulp continued, saying that he was a little anxious as he attempted to win the match.
“I think you have to be incredibly calm and keep your head there if you want to beat one of these guys; otherwise, they take such an easy advantage over it.”
Alcaraz’s run of 15 straight grand slam victories has come to an end, as his fall on Thursday in the second round is his earliest slam defeat since Wimbledon in 2021.
Only once in his career has Van de Zandschulp made it into the fourth round of a major slam. On Saturday, he will take on Jack Draper, the 25th-seeded player from Britain, in the third round.