Carlos Alcaraz had a shocking 1-6, 5-7, 4-6 loss to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round of the US Open.
Alcaraz, the World No. 3 and four-time Grand Slam champion, lost his last 15 matches on Friday. He entered this competition as the recent Olympic silver medallist from Paris.
His loss to Dutch Zandschulp also signifies his earliest Grand Slam tournament exit since he was a youngster, losing in the Wimbledon second round in 2021. With three prior appearances at the U.S. Open, the Spanish tennis sensation had a 16-2 record and had never lost before the quarterfinals.
The 21-year-old struggled to settle into a rhythm against van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands on Friday. Alcaraz was noticeably out of sorts, making repeated mistakes on shots that he usually makes with ease. After a double fault as a result of these problems, he fell behind considerably in the match.
Alcaraz made the decision to pack up his things and quit the court after falling behind by an overwhelming two sets to none.
