Carlos Alcaraz, the No. 3 seed and a favorite in the men's draw at the U.S. Open, suffered a surprising defeat in the second round on Thursday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Facing off against 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp, Alcaraz found himself trailing early and was unable to mount a comeback, ultimately losing in straight sets 6-1, 7-5, 6-4.
Alcaraz, who had been on a 15-match Grand Slam unbeaten streak, expressed his struggles during the match, citing a battle against himself in his mind. The young Spanish player, who had recently won the French Open and Wimbledon, as well as a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, admitted that a packed tennis schedule may have contributed to his lack of energy.
