Carlos Alcaraz's Mental Struggles After US Open Exit
Carlos Alcaraz, who suffered a surprising and painful second-round exit at the US Open this Thursday, admitted that he has taken "steps backward" mentally, leaving him puzzled about the reason behind this setback.
"The truth is that I feel like, instead of moving forward, I've taken steps backward mentally. And I don't understand why," the Spanish tennis star reflected during a press conference.
"I came off a spectacular summer, with Roland Garros, Wimbledon, feeling like I had made a mental leap forward, realizing that to win big things, you need to be mentally tough. But coming into this tour, it feels like I've gone backward: mentally, I'm not in a good place, I'm not strong, I don't know how to handle problems, I don't know how to manage it. And for me, that's a real problem," he added.
Alcaraz, the current ATP World No. 3, who has already won titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year, as well as a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was convincingly defeated by Botic Van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands, ranked 74th in the world, in straight sets 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in just over two hours.
This night of frustration and mental collapse marked Alcaraz's earliest Grand Slam defeat since the second round of Wimbledon in 2021, which had previously been his worst result in the main draw of a major tournament.
Still visibly disappointed after the match, Alcaraz acknowledged that the demanding tennis schedule, which this summer also included the Olympic Games, may have taken a toll on him.
"Maybe. I need to figure out exactly what’s going on with me. It's been an emotionally intense summer, very demanding. The tennis schedule is very tight. I've had moments of disconnect, but I think I'm still getting to know myself, and maybe as a person, I need more time," he explained.
"Maybe I'm the type of person who doesn't handle the tight schedule well or who mentally pushes himself too much. I need to figure out what's happening, but honestly, I haven't thought much about how demanding everything has been and how that might have affected me," he added.
Alcaraz also detailed what was going through his mind during the match: "It was a fight with myself."
"In tennis, you're playing against someone who wants to win the match just as much as you do, and you need to stay as calm as possible to think clearly during the match. Today, I was playing against my opponent and against myself in my head. There were many emotions that I couldn't control. I was up in some points, then lost others, and it brought me down. It was a rollercoaster in my head. I can't be like that if I want to aim for big things. I need to improve, I need to learn from this," he remarked.
How Did Carlos Alcaraz Perform at the US Open?
Carlos Alcaraz crashed out of the US Open on Thursday, falling to Botic Van de Zandschulp, the world's No. 74, in the second round.
The Spanish tennis star lost in straight sets to the Dutch player 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in just over two hours.
Alcaraz, who won titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year and also secured a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, had not suffered such an early exit in a Grand Slam since Wimbledon 2021, where he also lost in the second round, marking his worst result in a major tournament's main draw.
In contrast, Van de Zandschulp, who has no career titles (with two final appearances, both losses in Munich), achieved the biggest victory of his life, giving himself an unforgettable day.
This unexpected elimination for Alcaraz at Flushing Meadows follows his disappointing return at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 a few weeks ago after the Olympics, where he lost his opening match to Frenchman Gael Monfils. Alcaraz, visibly frustrated, smashed his racket—a rare occurrence in his career—and described the match as "the worst of his career."
