Dutch tennis player Botic van de Zandschulp caused a major upset by defeating the World No.3 Carlos Alcaraz in the current Grand Slam tournament. Alcaraz, considered a top contender for the men's singles title, was unable to advance past the second round. This marks his first second-round exit in a Grand Slam event since the 2021 Wimbledon, where he was defeated by Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.
In a match that lasted one hour and 19 minutes on Thursday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Van der Zandschulp outplayed the Spaniard with a score of 6-1, 7-5, 6-4. Despite Alcaraz holding a 2-0 lead in their head-to-head record prior to the match, he was unable to secure a single set, ultimately losing both sets on Thursday. This unexpected outcome left Van der Zandschulp speechless.
“I’m a little lost for words. It’s been an incredible evening. First time me having a night session on Arthur Ashe. The crowd was amazing. Thank you for that. Unbelievable night,” van der Zandschulp told broadcasters in the post-match presentation.
“I got a lot of confidence from the last match. I played solid in the last match. From point 1 I believed I could have a chance. You see how it sometimes turns out,” he revealed.
Who is Botic van de Zandschulp?
At 28 years old, van de Zandschulp is currently ranked No. 78 in the world. He reached as high as No. 22 in August 2022, achieving a new career-high ranking 14 different times that year while going 38-29 in men’s singles matches.
In a recent match, van de Zandschulp made history by becoming the first Dutchman to defeat a top-three player at a Grand Slam since Richard Krajicek beat Pete Sampras in the 1996 Wimbledon quarterfinals.
This isn't the first time van de Zandschulp has pulled off a shocking upset. He previously defeated fan favorites like Taylor Fritz and Casper Ruud on his way to the ATP Munich final in 2022. He also took out Andrey Rublev to reach the St. Petersburg semifinal in 2021.
Van de Zandschulp has had success at the U.S. Open as well. In 2021, he became the third men’s qualifier to reach the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in the Open Era, while also becoming the first Dutchman to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal since 2004.
Although he hasn't advanced as far in Grand Slams since then, van de Zandschulp has shown his talent on the court. This year, he is 1-3 in Grand Slam matches prior to the U.S. Open, only making it to the second round at Wimbledon.
Entering the match on Thursday night with a 12-18 singles record, van de Zandschulp has a lifetime 5-13 record against top-10 players.
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