Carlos Alcaraz’s Surprising US Open Loss to Botic van de Zandschulp Raises Questions

Botic van De Zandschulp, (R), of the Netherlands, greets Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships in New York on Aug. 29, 2024. Matt Rourke/AP Photo

NEW YORK—Everyone kept waiting for Carlos Alcaraz to turn things around at the U.S. Open.

Alcaraz figured it would happen at some point. So did his opponent. And surely the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd and folks tuning in on TV did, too. This is, after all, Carlos Alcaraz we’re talking about—the 21-year-old wunderkind with four Grand Slam titles already, including one at Flushing Meadows as a teen.