Sometimes certainty can be a disaster.
A BetMGM sports gambler suffered the biggest misfortune of his life on Thursday at the U.S. Open, losing $25,000 on Carlos Alcaraz to win his second-round match against Botich van de Zandthurp of the Netherlands.
Alcaraz, ranked third in the world, had won both of their previous meetings in straight sets and was the -10,000 favorite to beat van de Zantschulp.
Had Alcaraz won, the bet would have only earned $250.
Leading up to the tournament, ESPN BET had Alcaraz at +165 odds to win, beating both Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner at +240.
Alcaraz was seeking his fourth career and third consecutive Grand Slam title.
“I don't know what to say right now. First of all, I thought he played great,” Alcaraz said after the game. “I thought he would score more points. He didn't make as many mistakes as I expected him to.” [make]… So I was a little confused. I didn't know what to do or how to handle it. I couldn't raise my level.”
Van de Zantschulp, 28, is ranked 78th in the world and previously rose to as high as 22nd in August 2022.
The 21-year-old Alcaraz was fresh off winning Olympic silver medal after losing to Djokovic in the gold medal match earlier this month.
The Spaniard won the French Open in June and Wimbledon a month later, but struggled at Queen's.
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BetMGM has Djokovic at +140 to win the tournament.
He is closely followed by Sinner at +175.
Alexander Zverev (+450) and Daniil Medvedev (+750) are the only other players with odds better than 25/1.
