NEW YORK (AP) — Everybody saved ready for Carlos Alcaraz to show issues round on the U.S. Open.
Alcaraz figured it might occur in some unspecified time in the future. So did his opponent. And certainly the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd and folk tuning in on TV did, too. That is, in spite of everything, Carlos Alcaraz we’re speaking about — the 21-year-old wunderkind with 4 Grand Slam titles already, together with one at Flushing Meadows as a teen.
A man on the high of the sport proper now. A man anticipated to simply accept the mantel from the Large Three of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. A man who entered the U.S. Open as the favourite and went into the second spherical in New York on a 15-match profitable streak on the majors, with championships on the French Open in June and Wimbledon in July, plus a silver medal on the Paris Olympics in early August.
One of the best model of Alcaraz by no means materialized on Thursday night time in Arthur Ashe Stadium in opposition to 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp, who wound up profitable 6-1, 7-5, 6-4, a end result as beautiful for who gained as for a way simply he did.
Afterward, the No. 3-ranked Alcaraz gave the impression of somebody a little bit nervous about what it’d imply.
“As a substitute of taking steps ahead, I’ve taken steps again mentally. I can not perceive the rationale why,” he mentioned in the course of the Spanish portion of his post-match information convention. “I’ve to test what’s happening with me.”
What occurred to Carlos Alcaraz on the U.S. Open?
It wasn’t simply that Alcaraz sounded defeated.
It was additionally that he sounded bewildered.
“I couldn’t see the ball effectively. … I couldn’t hit it correctly. It’s fairly a bizarre sensation,” Alcaraz mentioned. “I’m not effectively mentally, not robust. I don’t know tips on how to handle the tough moments, and that’s an issue for me.”
Who’s Botic van de Zandschulp?
Throughout the web was van de Zandschulp, a 28-year-old from the Netherlands who critically contemplated retirement just a few months in the past and got here to the U.S. Open with a file of 11-18 this season and with out back-to-back victories at any tour-level match.
He solely as soon as has made it so far as the quarterfinals at any Grand Slam match, attending to that stage at Flushing Meadows three years in the past.
So van de Zandschulp was fairly certain the one-sided nature of Thursday’s match was going to shift.
“Even within the third, you’re considering, like, ‘He’s going to give you one thing particular,’” van de Zandschulp mentioned. “I truly was considering that the entire match.”
However Alcaraz simply was unable to get going.
Why did Carlos Alcaraz battle on the U.S. Open?
He could not actually clarify why he by no means turned issues round or why he failed to seek out one thing that will work.
“As we speak I used to be enjoying in opposition to the opponent, and I used to be enjoying in opposition to myself, in my thoughts,” Alcaraz mentioned. “Quite a lot of feelings that I couldn’t management.”
When a reporter supplied one doable rationalization — exhaustion after what’s been a busy stretch — Alcaraz did acknowledge a tennis schedule he referred to as “so tight” may have been too draining.
He went from the clay of Roland Garros to the grass of the All England Membership to the clay of the Summer time Video games after which to the laborious courts of North America.
“In all probability, I got here right here with not as a lot vitality as I assumed that I used to be going to (have),” Alcaraz mentioned. “However, I imply, I don’t wish to put that as excuse.”
What comes subsequent for Carlos Alcaraz?
Possibly the devastating loss to Novak Djokovic within the Olympic remaining that left Alcaraz in tears was laborious to course of correctly. Within the one hard-court match he performed earlier than the U.S. Open — a defeat in opposition to Gael Monfils on the Cincinnati Open — Alcaraz misplaced his cool, repeatedly smashing his racket on the courtroom, a response he later apologized for.
Now he is dropped three of his previous 4 contests and must give you a approach to transfer previous this stretch and be prepared for the following Grand Slam match, the Australian Open in January.
Then once more, possibly Alcaraz shouldn’t be too laborious on himself. In any case, there have to be a motive solely two males up to now 55 years managed to win the championships in Paris, London and New York in a single season: Rod Laver in 1969 (when he accomplished a calendar-year Grand Slam) and Rafael Nadal in 2010.
“I’ve to consider it,” Alcaraz mentioned. “I’ve to be taught (from) it … if I wish to enhance.”
AP Sports activities Author Eric Núñez contributed to this report.
Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis author since 2002. Discover his tales right here: https://apnews.com/writer/howard-fendrich
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
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