Carlos Alcaraz’s 15-match grand slam unbeaten run has ended at the US Open with a sloppy 6-1 7-5 6-4 loss to 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round.
Alcaraz won the French Open in June and Wimbledon in July to raise his career total to four major championships, including taking the title at Flushing Meadows in 2022, and was the pre-tournament favourite to leave with the trophy again.
But he never found his footing against van de Zandschulp, a 28-year-old from the Netherlands.
Alcaraz was way off, repeatedly missing the sorts of shots he usually makes routinely.
After double-faulting to fall behind two sets to none – a deficit he’s never overcome – the No.3-seeded Alcaraz slung his equipment bag over this shoulder and trudged toward the locker room.
The upset win presents Australia’s top men’s player Alex de Minaur with a huge opportunity to continue his career-best season and reach a maiden grand slam semi-final.
Originally on a collision course with Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, the Spaniard’s fall now means the tenth seed will play no one higher-ranked than him until at least the last four, with 25th seed Jack Draper the highest-ranked foe left in his quarter.
Fellow Aussie Jordan Thompson, who stunned seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets in his second-round match, could also benefit, though he will first need to get past 30th seed Matteo Arnaldi in the third round before a potential battle with de Minaur in the fourth round.
Earlier, top seed Jannik Sinner beat American Alex Michelsen 6-4 6-0 6-2 to reach the third round of the US Open and set up a clash with Australian Chris O’Connell.
Sinner converted eight of his 16 break-point chances en route to dispatching Michelsen in 99 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium for his ATP Tour-leading 30th hard-court win of 2024.
“I feel like I can improve still a couple of things,” said the 23-year-old Sinner, who now faces world No.87 O’Connell.
“But you have to be obviously very happy to be in the next round and so I’m just trying to get better as a player.”
In the early goings Michelsen proved up for the challenge as he twice came back from a break down in the first set, but after Sinner broke a third time for a 5-4 lead he closed out the frame on serve.
Sinner found another gear in the second set and had a much easier time as he raced out to a 3-0 double-break lead to seize control and never looked back as Michelsen’s serve suddenly abandoned him and his unforced errors started to pile up as he won two of the last 14 games.
The victory was in contrast compared to their first meeting two weeks ago during the second round in Cincinnati where Sinner prevailed in two close sets en route to lifting the title.
“Very happy to be through against a very tough opponent,” Sinner said on court after his win.
“We played each other in Cincinnati… so I knew a little bit what to expect. I think also he knew a little bit what to expect.”
Former champion Daniil Medvedev was far from his best but still did enough to dispatch Fabian Marozsan 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-5) to reach the third round.
Medvedev won an opening set that included six breaks of serve across nine games, with the Hungarian’s serve failing to pack a punch and the Russian’s uncharacteristically tentative serving leading to four double faults.
Medvedev was far more comfortable from there, helped by his opponent’s 45 unforced errors and catalogue of poorly timed drop shots.
Medvedev sealed victory with a leaping backhand on match point and afterwards appeared annoyed with the muted reaction from the stands at Flushing Meadows, where he has had a rocky relationship with the crowds over the years.
Despite making the Australian Open and Indian Wells finals this year, fifth seed Medvedev was not among the favourites coming into the US Open after first-round exits at tune-up events in Canada and Cincinnati.
Medvedev, who was broken four times in the match, faces Italian 31st seed Flavio Cobolli, who beat Zizou Bergs 4-6 6-3 7-5 6-3, in the third round on Saturday.
Unseeded Czech Tomas Machac defeated American Sebastian Korda 6-4 6-2 6-4, much to the locals’ dismay.
Korda, the 16th seed, struggled through an elbow injury during the match.
No.24 seed Arthur Fils was also upset, going down 7-5 6-7 6-4 6-4 to Canadian Gabriel Diallo.
Other second-round winners included No.25 seed Jack Draper, No.30 seed Matteo Arnaldi, Dan Evans and David Goffin.