Botic Van de Zandschulp, the ice man who threatens Zverev at the US Open

Diego Jiménez Rubio - 8 Sep 2026 | 11:15
Botic Van de Zandschulp ATP US Open 2026 Rueda de prensa Alexander Zverev

The Dutch player is astounding with his performance at the 2026 US Open, but also with his cold reactions and terse statements after great feats. Can he beat Zverev?

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Botic van de Zandschulp, revelation at the US Open. Photo: Getty Images

Botic Van de Zandschulp does not adhere to linear trajectories or sports logic. He is a free electron, a type of outburst as bright as the inexplicable stages of ostracism. At the US Open 2026, he has managed to take advantage of the power vacuum in his section of the draw to reach the quarter-finals after heroic performances and will attempt to blow all predictions apart by defeating Alexander Zverev.

This will be the second time in the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows for a Botic Van de Zandschulp whose love affair with New York can only be understood by the attraction of opposites. There cannot be a person whose character is so antagonistic to that of the tournament; this cold tennis player, who hardly flinches on the court, does not seem to enjoy the show nor be a part of it, and his trajectory at 30 years old is hardly explainable from a logical standpoint.

Van de Zandschulp feels ready to defeat Zverev at the US Open

He defeated Alcaraz in the second round of the US Open 2024, was the player who defeated Nadal in his last match as a professional tennis player (Davis Cup 2024), managed to reach world number 22, but has no titles in his career, he has fallen out of the top 100 after having tasted the sweetness of being among the top 30. In short, a chaotic career from a player who thrives on big stages.

"I’m glad I won playing poorly. It was one of the worst matches of my life in this tournament". That’s the first thing Van de Zandschulp said in the press conference after coming out alive from a five-hour battle against Arthur Gea in the round of 16, having saved a match point and coming back from two sets down.

Injuries, inconsistency, abrupt drops in performance that plunged Botic into total unease... There have been many factors that explain the irregularity of a man determined to keep fighting and who wants to do better than the last time he played in a Grand Slam quarter-final, when he lost to Medvedev in four sets at the US Open 2021.

This will be Van de Zandschulp's second Grand Slam quarter-final

"These quarter-finals feel much better than the other ones I played. It’s important for me to be in this position at 30 years old after the tough times I’ve gone through. This season, everything is fitting back together. I still don’t know how I managed to win," said the current world number 70, who with this result is guaranteed to rise 30 positions and rank as the 40th in the ATP ranking.

When asked about his hopes of defeating Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals, the Dutchman is confident. "This victory is going to do me good, I’m convinced I will recover physically well and I can do better than five years ago. I’m still here, that’s what’s important," asserted Botic Van de Zandschulp, whose extreme coolness has captivated and even seemed amusing to the fans. Will he manage to take another step forward at the US Open 2026?

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Botic Van de Zandschulp, el hombre de hielo que amenaza a Zverev en el US Open