Carlos Alcaraz, the Spanish player ranked World No. 3 and the reigning champion of the US Open, was eliminated in the second round on Thursday in New York. He faced Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp (No. 74), losing with a score of 6-1, 7-5, 6-4.
At just 21 years old, Alcaraz, who triumphed at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year, had not been defeated at this stage of a Grand Slam tournament since 2021, his inaugural season on the ATP circuit.
Throughout the match, Alcaraz struggled to find a solution against the 28-year-old van de Zandschulp, who reached the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows in 2021 but has not matched that performance in a major event since then.
Van de Zandschulp will face British player Jack Draper (No. 25) in the third round.
