From wanting to retire to beating Carlos Alcaraz in R2 at US Open 2024: All you need to know about Botic van de Zandschulp
Botic van de Zandschulp stunned World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz and delivered one of the biggest upsets of the season in the second round of the 2024 US Open. In doing so, Zandschulp earned the highest-ranked win of his career.
Born to parents Jan and Ingrid, Van de Zandschulp grew up in Wageningen, Netherlands. He played at the local club with his older brother Melvin and eventually turned pro in 2016. He won a lone ATP Challenger singles title in 2019 at Hamburg and has not won an ATP Tour-level tournament.
Here's a closer look at Van de Zandschulp, who snapped the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz's 15-match Grand Slam winning streak.
Botic van de Zandschulp's breakthrough year
Botic van de Zandschulp made a breakthrough in 2021 having qualified for the first time in the main draw of a Grand Slam at the Australian Open. Interestingly, he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the opening round that year.
The Dutchman later qualified for the main draw at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, becoming the third man to qualify for all four Grand Slams in the same year. The first and second on the list are Frank Dancevic in 2011 and Elias Ymer in 2015. He defeated Carlos Taberner and World No. 11 at the time, Casper Ruud to book a third-round spot at the 2021 US Open. He later defeated Diego Schwartzman to reach his first and only Grand Slam quarterfinal that year, falling to the eventual 2021 US Open winner Daniil Medvedev at the stage.
Van de Zandschulp also became the third male qualifier in the history of the US Open (after Nicolas Escudé in 1999 and Gilles Müller in 2008) to reach the quarterfinals. With consistent performances, he reached his career-high ranking of World No. 22 in 2022.
Dip in performance and possible retirement
Before ousting Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open, Botic Van de Zandschulp's 2024 season could not have been further from the one three years ago. He began the year as World No. 50 and fell out of the Top 100 in April. He experienced a dip in performance with first-round exits at the Australian Open and the French Open.
In a press conference after his defeat at the clay Major, Van de Zandschulp confessed to "not looking forward to competition anymore" and even considered hanging up his racket.
"I don’t look forward to competitions at all anymore. I have been asking myself more and more lately whether I want to continue," Botic van de Zandschulp said. "You have to do work that you enjoy. Everyone has a bad day every now and then. But if there are too many, then you have to ask yourself whether you want to continue."
Van de Zandschulp called his 2024 French Open first-round loss to Fabio Fognini the "worst match" of his life and found the frequent traveling required of players difficult.
"It was the worst match I have played in my life. Of course, it is now fresh after the match. That plays a role in my mind, but the thoughts of quitting have been there for a long time. It is not an easy life as a tennis player. You really live your life, play thirty weeks a year and travel from pillar to post."
After the French Open, Botic Van de Zandschulp made a second-round exit at Wimbledon. His best result in the season has been a runner-up finish at the Challenger Braunschweig and the Sauerland Open.
Turn around at the US Open 2024 stunning Carlos Alcaraz
Shrugging off a recent first-round loss at the Winston-Salem Open, Botic Van de Zandschulp defeated Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in the opening round of the 2024 US Open. With a boost in confidence, the Dutchman brought his A-game, dominating Carlos Alcaraz in the first set of the second round.
The second set was a little shaky with Alcaraz leveling Van de Zandshulp's break when the latter broke again to win the second set. The former World No. 22 left no opening for Alcaraz and eventually closed the game 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in his favor.
In an on-court interview, Van de Zandschulp thanked the crowd and spoke about his previous win. He also talked about his mindset in the second set.
"I'm a little bit lost for words. It's been an incredible evening, the first night session for me on Arthur Ashe. The crowd was amazing," Botic van de Zandschulp said. "I got a lot of confidence from my last match [against Denis Shapovalov]. I played really solid and from point one tonight, I believed I could have a chance and you see how it sometimes turns out."
"Of course I had some nerves. But if you want to beat one of these guys you have to be unbelievably calm and keep your head there, otherwise they will take advantage," he added.
Off the court, Botic Van de Zandschulp enjoys watching movies and shows, his favorite movie being "Gladiator" and the show, "Suits". He will next clash with Jack Draper in the third round of the 2024 US Open on Saturday, August 31.