Van de Zandschulp, before facing Alcaraz: "He can do anything, you don't know what to expect"

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They faced each other for the last time two years ago, and the US Open will bring them back together on a tennis court since that Basel tournament in 2022. Carlos Alcaraz and Botic Van de Zandschulp will face off in the second round of the New York tournament after both completed their debuts successfully. While Carlitos aims as high as possible, the Dutchman looks to rediscover his place in a sport he recently considered leaving. What form will Botic arrive in? Will he be able to challenge the world No. 3 and former champion?

The world No. 74 defeated Denis Shapovalov in straight sets in a very serious match that he will take as perfect and necessary nourishment in his tournament journey, especially in this challenging moment of his career. The Dutchman has not been achieving the expected results lately, alternating between ATP tournaments and Challengers since April.

His record in 2024 is more than worrying, with 11 wins and 18 losses on the circuit, prompting him to consider retiring at the age of 28 when a few months ago he fell in the first round of Roland Garros: “It was the worst match of my life, and I have been contemplating retirement. Many things off the court have pushed me to the limit. I thought about playing fewer weeks, but these days, if you don't compete in at least 30 weeks per year, you can't stay at the top,” he said.

Therefore, this first victory in the US Open (second in a Grand Slam this season) comes at a crucial moment for the future of his career. But does he stand a chance against Carlitos? The reality is that he hasn't been lucky in the draw, being matched with one of the biggest threats. Moreover, he won't be able to rely on their past encounters to gain confidence for this match, as the Spaniard has beaten him twice without him managing to win a single set.

Nothing to lose

Nevertheless, the Dutchman eagerly anticipates the upcoming match, aiming to have fun and, above all, to prevail in order to improve his best performance at the US Open, reaching the quarterfinals in 2021, where he was defeated by Medvedev. “It will be a great match because he is one of the best players in the world. He can do anything with a tennis ball. You don't know what to expect, in a positive sense; I just have to play. It's fun to play against him because he varies a lot, and that's what I like. I'm definitely looking forward to it,” Botic said about his duel with the player from Murcia. Therefore, the former world No. 22 will need not only to enjoy himself on the court but also to assert his dominance through his strong serve and powerful forehand before Carlitos takes control.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Van de Zandschulp, antes de medirse a Alcaraz: "Puede hacer cualquier cosa, no sabes qué esperar"