What's next for Carlos Alcaraz after US Open 2024 exit? All you need to know about Spaniard's schedule
Following his shock defeat to 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round of the 2024 US Open, Carlos Alcaraz is next scheduled to participate in the Laver Cup, followed by the Beijing Open.
The World No. 3 enters the Chinese leg of the ATP 500 World Tour seeded second in Beijing, behind World No.1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner. The 21-year-old lost to Sinner, the eventual winner of the title, in straight sets in last year's semifinal 6(4)-7, 1-6.
With the main draw beginning on 26 September, the 2022 US Open winner would seem to have ample time to recover from his humbling loss in straight sets to van de Zandschulp.
The reigning Wimbledon and Roland Garros champion opened his campaign at Flushing Meadows in trademark fashion as he eased past Australian Li Tu to win 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
The winner of the two most recent Majors, the Spaniard was the favorite to win in New York, making it a treble of Grand Slam wins in 2024. However, events unfolded differently, as some sharp tennis from the Dutchman and an uncharacteristic number of unforced errors saw his opponent bow out of the US Open after only two matches.
Carlos Alcaraz has had a stellar 2024 season with two Grand Slams
Carlos Alcaraz boasts a season singles record of 39-9 in 2024, with successful title defenses at Indian Wells and Wimbledon and a career-first French Open triumph, becoming the youngest player ever to win Grand Slams on three different surfaces. The 21-year-old also finished runner-up in the 2024 Paris Olympics, losing to Novak Djokovic in the final.
The Spaniard achieved a personal best by making it to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open before losing to Alexander Zverev, his deepest run in Melbourne.
Following that, the defending champion at the Argentina Open lost to Chilean Nicolas Jarry in the semifinals of the Argentina Open. Alcaraz then retired from the Rio Open due to an ankle injury in his first game.
The 21-year-old returned to the courts to win his first title since Wimbledon 2023 as he retained his Indian Wells crown by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final. However, he bowed out of the Miami Open following a loss to Gregor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals for the second year running.
A persistent injury to his right forearm forced the four-time Major winner to withdraw from several major clay tournaments. It also impacted his performances, as he failed to retain his title at the Madrid Open, losing in the last eight.
Alcaraz then recovered well enough to win the French Open, becoming the youngest player to win a Major on all three surfaces. He would go on to have an eventful summer with a second successive title triumph at the All-England Championships before claiming silver at his debut Olympics in Paris.
Carlos Alcaraz will now be looking to get back to his best at the China Open in Beijing and win his fourth title of the year.