In a stunning upset at the US Open, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz was eliminated in the second round by world number 74 Botic van de Zandschulp. This marked the end of Alcaraz’s 15-match winning streak at Grand Slams. Meanwhile, top seeds Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek cruised through to the third round.
Van de Zandschulp, the first Dutchman to defeat a top-3 player at a major since 1996, will face Jack Draper in the next round. Alcaraz admitted to struggling mentally during the match. “It was a fight against myself,” he said. Today, I was battling both my opponent and my inner demons.”
Earlier in the day, Swiatek dominated Ena Shibahara 6-0 6-1. She will next play Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Sinner also had a comfortable win over Alex Michelsen, advancing with a 6-4 6-0 6-2 victory. He will face Chris O’Connell in the third round.
Sinner has been under scrutiny after recent drug tests revealed positive results for a banned substance. He claims the substance was inadvertently applied by his physio. Sinner has fired both his physio and trainer. “It’s not easy to find new people in the middle of the season,” he said.
Naomi Osaka, a two-time champion, was also eliminated in the second round by Karolina Muchova. This marks another disappointing Grand Slam exit for Osaka, who is still trying to find her form after returning from maternity leave. “I feel like I’m working harder than ever,” she said. “It needs to turn into something.”
Daniil Medvedev, a former champion, defeated Fabian Marozsan in a three-set match. He will face Flavio Cobolli in the next round. Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul advanced to the third round, boosting American hopes. Sebastian Korda, however, was eliminated.
Coco Gauff will open the action at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday against Elina Svitolina. Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe will also face off in an all-American third-round match.
