S Poddar
The surprise breaking loss that Carlos Alcaraz suffered in the second round of the U.S. Open was to Botic van de Zandschulp. This has sent shock waves across the tennis world. The pre-tournament favorite, this 21-year-old Spaniard, already with four Grand Slam titles, was supposed to breeze through the opening rounds, of course. But, quite contrary to what his fans, commentators, and he himself expected, it really was a bad night on Thursday for him in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Right from the start, one could feel a sense of incredulity at the way Alcaraz couldn’t get his game going. This is the player who has already stamped his mark as the future star- with every indication that he is going to take over the reins from the likes of Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer. Alcaraz came into the U.S. Open had been riding high on a 15-match winning streak at Grand Slam events, having won the French Open and Wimbledon, and even took a silver medal at the Paris Olympics recently. Yet, he could not summon the best version of himself against 74th-ranked van de Zandschulp. The Dutchman jumped into the opportunity, winning what was an upset of a match, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4, as much for his victory as the ease with which it was tallying.
In the fall out from the defeat, Alcaraz bemoaned a young man probably more confused than defeated. But from post-match comments, a young man probably struggling with doubts and uncertainties emanating from unfamiliar territory for one with his talent and accomplished abilities. “Instead of moving forwards, I’ve gone backwards mentally. I don’t know why,” Alcaraz revealed in the Spanish segment of his news conference. The confusion his supporters and the broader tennis world are experiencing has been equaled by the one that was audible in his voice.
He seemed a bit dazed during the match. “I didn’t see the ball well.. I couldn’t hit it well. It’s quite a weird sensation,” Alcaraz said. There was a mental block, and he mentioned how difficult it has been to manage the on-court tough situations. “I’m not well mentally, not strong. I don’t know how to manage the difficult moments, and that’s a problem for me,” he said – a rare look into the vulnerabilities of a player often seen as invincible.
By contrast, Van de Zandschulp came into this encounter with a whole lot of minimal expectations: The 28-year-old from the Netherlands was pondering retirement only several months earlier after a season in which he won just 11 of 29 matches. His best ever result had been a U.S. He opened the proceedings three years ago, but few expected him to challenge-let alone beat-a player of Alcaraz’s caliber. Yet, as the match unfolded further, van de Zandschulp’s belief in an Alcaraz comeback never wavered-even if the Spaniard’s own belief did. “Even in the third, you’re thinking, like, ‘He’s going to come up with something special,'” said van de Zandschulp, an acknowledgment of the respect and fear that Alcaraz instills in opponents on the court. This time, though, there was nothing for the Spaniard to dig back with.
Alcaraz’s struggles appeared to be rooted in a combination of factors, none of which he could clearly identify. “Today I was playing against the opponent, and I was playing against myself, in my mind,” he said, suggesting that an internal battle raged throughout. Asked whether it might have to do with some sort of fatigue from an eventual grueling schedule, Alcaraz did concede that maybe his “tight” schedule – transitioning from the clay of Roland Garros to the grass of Wimbledon and then to the hard courts of North America – caught up. “Probably I came here with not as much energy as I thought that I was going to,” he acknowledged, though he was quick to dismiss it as an excuse.
This defeat leaves many to ask, what next for Alcaraz? The defeat in New York, together with his loss in the Olympic final against Novak Djokovic, during which he was tearful, many have questioned Alcaraz’s mental strength. Of all the hard-court matches he had played before the U.S. Alcaraz is a very composed player, which seldom happens; he lost his temper after losing to Gael Monfils during the Cincinnati Open and smashed his racket against the floor.
Having lost three of his last four matches, Alcaraz will have to work his way back into the winning circle that will start over with the Australian Open in January. The journey back home is one of introspection and growth, something for which Alcaraz said he knows the way. “I have to think about it,” he said. “I have to learn from it. if I want to improve.”
But despite the defeat, it puts into perspective that only two men in the last 55 years have claimed the French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open all in one season: Rod Laver in 1969 and Rafael Nadal in 2010. Alcaraz may have tripped, but his potential remains undeniable. Now, the thing is to learn from this experience and come out stronger.
