Who is Botic van de Zandschulp, the Dutchman behind Carlos Alcaraz upset at US Open

Carlos Alcaraz’s impressive 15-match unbeaten streak in Grand Slam tournaments came to a surprising end at the US Open on Thursday. The 21-year-old Spaniard, ranked No. 3 in the world, was defeated in a straight-sets upset by 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp, who prevailed 6-1, 7-5, 6-4. The loss marked Alcaraz’s earliest exit from a major tournament since his second-round departure at Wimbledon in 2021, when he was still a teenager.

Alcaraz entered the US Open riding high, having won the French Open in June and Wimbledon in July, bringing his career total to four Grand Slam titles. He also claimed a silver medal at the Paris Olympics in early August. With a 16-2 record at the US Open and no prior losses before the quarterfinals, Alcaraz was widely regarded as the pre-tournament favorite.

However, the match against Van de Zandschulp defied expectations. The 28-year-old Dutchman, born in Wageningen, a city known for its prestigious life sciences university, had never advanced beyond the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, a feat he achieved at the US Open in 2021. That run, which marked his first trip to the United States, made him the third men’s qualifier in the Open Era to reach the US Open quarterfinals. He also became the first Dutchman to reach the last eight of a Grand Slam since 2004 and the only player to take a set off eventual champion Daniil Medvedev that year.

Van de Zandschulp has reached a career-high ranking of No. 22 in August 2022 and boasts a career win-loss record of 88-83, with $4.4 million in prize money. His best year came in 2022 when he achieved 38 wins, including victories over top players like Cameron Norrie, Taylor Fritz, and Alexander Bublik, helping The Netherlands qualify for the Davis Cup Finals knockouts. Despite winning three ATP Challenger titles in 2019, Van de Zandschulp has never reached the final of an ATP Tour-level tournament.

By defeating Alcaraz, Van de Zandschulp accomplished several significant milestones. He became the first Dutchman to defeat a top-three player at a Grand Slam since Richard Krajicek beat top-ranked Pete Sampras in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 1996. He also became the first Dutch player to achieve this feat at the US Open since his coach, Paul Haarhuis, defeated Boris Becker in the third round in 1991.

Reflecting on his victory, Van de Zandschulp said, “I’m a little lost for words. It was an incredible evening out here in my first time in the night session on Arthur Ashe. I had some unbelievable points at the net. I tried to stay calm. You have to keep your head against these guys; otherwise, they will take advantage.” This victory marked only his second career win over a top-five player, solidifying his status as a formidable opponent on the biggest stages.