Alcaraz lost to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, while Osaka lost to Czech Karolina Muchova.

Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning champion of this year’s first two Grand Slams, and Naomi Osaka have both been eliminated from the US Open in Flushing Meadows.

Alcaraz suffered a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 defeat to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp on Thursday, while Osaka lost 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) to Czech Karolina Muchova, the world number 52.

The unseeded van de Zandschulp, currently ranked No. 74 in the world, was a huge underdog against a player who had won 15 Grand Slam matches in a row. The fans in the Arthur Ashe Stadium could hardly believe their eyes as Alcaraz made mistake after mistake in the surprise defeat.

“Today I played against the opponent, and I played against myself, you know, in my mind,” Alcaraz said. “I mean, a lot of emotions that I couldn’t control.”

Alcaraz hoped to become the third player in history, after Rod Laver and Rafael Nadal, to win the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open in the same calendar year.

“I was up in some points. Then I lose some points. Then I go down again. It was a rollercoaster, let’s say, in my mind,” the world number three added.

Alcaraz admitted that the 28-year-old Van de Zandschulp surprised him with his level of play.

“He didn’t make a lot of the mistakes that I thought he would make,” Alcaraz said. “So I was, you know, a little confused. I didn’t know how to handle that, how to deal with it.

The 21-year-old said it’s not the first time he’s felt out of control in the match.

“I think now that I’m not changing, and that’s the problem,” Alcaraz said. “So I have to think about it, I have to learn about it.”

Thanks, Carlitos 🫶🏼 Nos vemos en la next photo.twitter.com/YWdwo26OIO

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2024

Translation: Thanks Carlitos, see you next time.

Alcaraz, who won silver at the Paris Olympics after losing to Novak Djokovic, said he needed a longer break before heading to Flushing Meadows.

Van de Zandschulp considered quitting less than three months ago due to various injuries.

“I’m still processing it,” he said of his victory. “Maybe in a couple of hours or tomorrow I’ll feel a little more emotional about what happened tonight.”

Osaka’s failed comeback

For Osaka, her comeback after maternity leave is still stalled.

She missed the tournament last year due to the birth of daughter Shai, but made up for it in the first round when she brushed aside Jelena Ostapenko to claim her first top 10 victory in four years.

However, on Thursday, the 26-year-old lost in three sets to Muchova, meaning she has not played in the third round of the majors since the 2022 Australian Open.

“It’s been a bit difficult because of course I can only judge how I’m doing based on the results. I feel faster. I feel better, but I lost in the second round. So it’s a bit tough,” Osaka said.

Muchova will compete for a place in the last 16 against Russia’s Anastasia Potapova.

“Honestly, the biggest victory for me this year is that I was able to play again,” said Muchova, who suffered a wrist injury at last year’s US Open that sidelined her for nine months.