Alcaraz fell to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp whereas Osaka misplaced to Czech Karolina Muchova.
Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning champion of the primary two Grand Slams this 12 months, and Naomi Osaka have been eradicated from the US Open in Flushing Meadows.
Alcaraz fell 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp on Thursday, whereas Osaka misplaced 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) to Czech Karolina Muchova, world quantity 52.
Van de Zandschulp, presently ranked No. 74 on the planet and unseeded, was an enormous underdog in opposition to a participant who had gained 15 consecutive Grand Slam matches and the followers in Arthur Ashe Stadium might hardly imagine their eyes as Alcaraz made mistake after mistake within the shock defeat.
“At present I performed in opposition to the opponent and in opposition to myself, mentally,” Alcaraz mentioned. “I felt a whole lot of feelings that I couldn’t management.”
Alcaraz was aiming to grow to be solely the third man in historical past, after Rod Laver and Rafael Nadal, to win the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open in the identical calendar 12 months.
“I made some progress, then I misplaced some factors, I obtained discouraged. It was like a curler coaster, for example, in my thoughts,” added the world quantity three.
Alcaraz admitted that van de Zandschulp, 28, stunned him along with his degree of play.
“He did not make a whole lot of errors that I believed he was going to make,” Alcaraz mentioned. “So I used to be, you understand, a little bit bit confused. I did not know easy methods to deal with that, easy methods to cope with that.
The 21-year-old mentioned it was not the primary time he felt unable to take management of a match.
“Proper now I’m considering that I’m not altering and that’s the issue,” Alcaraz mentioned. “So I’ve to consider it, I’ve to find out about it.”
Thanks, Carlitos 🫶🏼 See you subsequent time picture.twitter.com/YWdwo26OIO
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2024
Thanks Carlitos, see you subsequent time.
Alcaraz, who gained silver on the Paris Olympics after shedding to Novak Djokovic, mentioned he wanted an extended break earlier than heading to Flushing Meadows.
Van de Zandschulp was contemplating retirement lower than three months in the past after a number of accidents.
“I’m nonetheless processing it,” he mentioned of his win. “Possibly in a few hours or tomorrow I’ll really feel a little bit extra enthusiastic about what occurred tonight.”
Osaka’s stalled comeback
For Osaka, her return from maternity go away stays stalled.
She missed final 12 months’s event after giving start to her daughter Shai, however made up for that absence within the first spherical when she outlasted Jelena Ostapenko to assert her first high 10 win in 4 years.
Nevertheless, on Thursday, the 26-year-old misplaced in straight units to Muchova, leaving her with out a third-round look at a significant for the reason that 2022 Australian Open.
“It was a little bit bit tough as a result of clearly I can solely decide my efficiency by the outcomes. I really feel sooner. I really feel higher, however I misplaced within the second spherical. So it’s a little bit bit robust,” Osaka mentioned.
Muchova will face Russian Anastasia Potapova for a spot within the spherical of 16.
“Actually, the most important triumph for me this 12 months is that I used to be capable of play once more,” mentioned Muchova, who suffered a wrist harm ultimately 12 months’s US Open that sidelined her for 9 months.
