If Carlos Alcaraz was surprised by the resistance he faced in the first round, he must be in for a shock right now.
The 2022 U.S. Open champion, considered the world's next great tennis star and the betting favorite in Flushing, was defeated in surprising fashion on Thursday night by unseeded Dutchman Botich van de Zantschulp.
Alcaraz, who was bidding to become just the third player in history to win the U.S. Open, French Open and Wimbledon in the same calendar year, lost in straight sets to van de Zantschulp, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Alcaraz was beaten from the baseline.
He lost at the net. Van de Zantschulp, ranked 74th in the world, also beat Alcaraz with his signature drop shot.
The third-seeded van de Zantschulp came into the match with a 12-18 singles record this year and a 5-13 record against top 10 players, but was dominated by the third-seeded van de Zantschulp.
The only time he's made it past the fourth round at a Grand Slam tournament was when he reached the quarterfinals of the 2021 U.S. Open.
Over the past two years, the 28-year-old has failed to win more than two singles titles at any major tournament.
Now van de Zantschulp has reached the third round at Queen's after the biggest win of his career and will next face Britain's No. 25 Jack Draper.
Van de Zantschulp broke Alcaraz's serve six times, including twice in the third set, before finishing the one-sided match at love.
He remained calm after the upset, barely reacting to the moment as he faced off against his opponent at the net.
The second-round exit was the brilliant Spaniard's earliest since Wimbledon in 2021, his first year on the ATP Tour.
The loss ended a streak of seven consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances, four of which Alcaraz was the final one to reach.
