Carlos Alcaraz defeated in the second round of the US Open by Botic Van De Zandschulp in two sets

One of the favourites to win the 2024 US Open in men's singles has been eliminated in the second round.

Spanish phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz, winner of the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year, was surprisingly defeated in the second round by Dutchman Botic Van De Zandschulp in straight sets.

Van De Zandschulp, 28, of Wageningen, Netherlands, had a record of just 87-83 in his career and 10-18 this year when he entered his match against Alcaraz after defeating Denis Shapovalov in the first round.

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But it was clear from the start of the match that Van De Zandschulp was not at all nervous about taking on Alcaraz, the 21-year-old four-time Grand Slam champion.

Van De Zandschulp won the first set convincingly, 6-1, with Alcaraz sending a return serve over the baseline on triple set point.

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From there, the Spaniard raised the level, but Van De Zandschulp was still able to win the set via tiebreak, 7-5, to put himself in the driver's seat and pull off the big upset.

We've seen what Alcaraz can do with his back against the wall in the past, but Van De Zandschulp outclassed him once again in the third set, dispatching him 6-4 in front of a stunned New York City crowd.

Botic van De Zandschulp of the Netherlands after defeating Carlos Alcaraz of Spain on day four of the 2024 US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports)

Just like that, the No. 3 ranked player in men's singles and a huge fan favorite was eliminated from the final Grand Slam of the year. Alcaraz had not lost at the US Open before the quarterfinals in his three previous participations.

Alcaraz came into Thursday's match unbeaten in 15 matches at a Grand Slam. But while Van De Zandschulp was exceptional, especially when the ball was on his forehand, Alcaraz had a sloppy performance overall, having been injured too many times.

Van De Zandschulp had faced Alcaraz twice before, both times won by the Spaniard. However, the lanky Dutchman's serves were outpacing Alcaraz's, which reached 212 km/h.

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz reacts during his men's singles first round match against Australia's Li Tu on day two of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on August 27, 2024. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

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While Alcaraz watches the tape to figure out what went wrong, Van De Zandschulp will move on to the third round, where he will face another ranked opponent: No. 25 Jack Draper of Great Britain.

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