The current number three ranked man in tennis, Carlos Alcaraz, was just bounced out of the US Open in the second round by Botic van de Zandschulp. It already now ranks as one of the biggest upsets in US Open history.
Alcaraz did not just lose. He got dominated in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4. If you did not know better in seeing the results, you might think that Botic van de Zandschulp was the heavy favorite. Really, you could make the argument that Alcaraz was never really in this match.
And now, it seems clear that Alcaraz, who was flying high for a few months earlier this year, and seemed at that time indestructibe and bound for another long reign atop the men's rankings, now instead has entered his most serious drought in his career as one of the elites in the game.
Alcaraz still looked unbeatable entering and through most of the Olympics, until he lost that final match. That seemed to derail him. Since losing the Olympic Gold Medal match to Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz really has not looked the same that he did earlier this year, when he appeared dominant in winning the French Open and Wimbledon titles within weeks of one another.
In Cincinnati, a warm-up tournament for the US Open, Alcaraz lost in the first round, and showed his frustration when he smashed his racket repeatedly on the court. Now, he lost in the second round of the US Open, surely crippling, if not outright ending, any chance of finishing the year as the world number one, which he managed to do in 2022.
Guess you never know what's going to happen in sports, right? But as they say, that's why they play the game.
Carlos Alcaraz stunned in second round of US Open by Botic van de Zandschulp The 74th-ranked Dutchman improbably defeated the reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion in straight sets. By TENNIS.com Published Aug 30, 2024
https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/carlos-alcaraz-botic-van-de-zandschulp-second-us-open-second-round
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