Botic van de Zandschulp defeats Carlos Alcaraz at US Open for first win over a Top 3 player

Unseeded Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp has taken out No. 3-ranked Carlos Alcaraz in a second-round stunner at the US Open, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4, for his first career win over a Top 3 player.

Not only that—he’s actually the first Dutchman to defeat a Top 3 player at a Grand Slam event since Richard Krajicek upset a No. 1-ranked Pete Sampras in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 1996.

Van de Zandschulp wasn’t even one year old when that happened.

He’s also the first Dutchman to defeat a Top 3 player at the US Open since Paul Haarhuis beat a No. 1-ranked Boris Becker here in 1991.

It’s the seventh overall Top 10 victory of the 28-year-old’s career.

VAN DE ZANDSCHULP’S SEVEN TOP 10 WINS:
d. No. 6 Rublev in 2021 St. Petersburg QFs
d. No. 9 Auger-Aliassime in 2022 Indian Wells 2nd Rd
d. No. 7 Ruud in 2022 Munich QFs
d. No. 8 Norrie in 2022 Davis Cup RR
d. No. 4 Ruud in 2023 Miami 3rd Rd
d. No. 10 Fritz in 2023 Munich SFs
d. No. 3 Alcaraz in 2024 US Open 2nd Rd

More to come…

But while Van de Zandschulp created one stat, he also shattered another one—he ended Alcaraz’s incredible 15-match winning streak at Grand Slams, which had taken him to titles at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, then to the second round in New York.

He was the first tennis player born in 2000 or later—or even 1990 or later—to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same season.

“I don’t know what to say right now,” Alcaraz said afterwards. “I mean, first of all, I think he played great. He played really good tennis. I thought he was going to give me more points. I’m going to say more free points, you know. He didn’t make a lot of mistakes that I thought he was going to do. So it was, you know, confusing a little bit. I didn’t know how to manage that, how to deal with it. I couldn’t increase my level. I think my level stayed at the same point all the match, and it wasn’t enough to win the match or to give myself the chance to getting into the match, or trying to give myself chances.

“So, you know, what can I say? I didn’t feel well hitting the ball. I think I made a lot of mistakes. When I wanted to come back or I think I wanted to come back, it was too late.”