Alcaraz upset at the US Open: What went wrong, and what it means

NEW YORK — After a dominant summer that saw him win the titles at the French Open and Wimbledon — becoming just the sixth man to win both in the same season — Carlos Alcaraz was handed his earliest exit at the US Open with a 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 loss to world No. 74 Botic van de Zandschulp.

Playing in the second night match on Arthur Ashe Stadium in front of a lively crowd, the third-seeded Alcaraz was the heavy favorite to win and Van de Zandschulp acknowledged he would have to play his best tennis ahead of the match to have a chance.

“Hopefully he’s not 100%,” he joked with ESPN’s Brad Gilbert. “You know, I need a little help tonight.”

But while he showed no signs of any physical ailments, Alcaraz was flat from the start, and Van de Zandschulp seized the opportunity. He then managed to stave off Alcaraz’s attempts at a comeback, winning in two hours and 19 minutes.

When it was over, Van de Zandschulp showed the slightest hint of a smile before shaking hands with Alcaraz at the net.

“I’m a little bit lost for words,” he told ESPN’s Mary Joe Fernandez on court moments later. “It’s been an incredible evening here. First night session for me on Arthur Ashe. Crowd was amazing, so thank you for that. Yeah, unbelievable night.”

Alcaraz became the first men’s player seeded in the top three to lose before the end of the second round at the US Open since 2006.

So, what just happened and what does it mean for the rest of the tournament? Here are some key takeaways from Thursday’s shocking upset.

The busy schedule and surface changes might have caught up to Alcaraz

A four-time major champion at just 21, Alcaraz has made winning major titles look easy. But — spoiler alert — it’s anything but.

Alcaraz had lost his first-round match in Cincinnati earlier this month — his only tuneup event before the tournament — and dropped a set in his opening-round match against qualifier Li Tu on Tuesday. Having gone from clay to grass and then back to clay for the Olympics before the start of the hard-court season, Alcaraz said it had taken its toll, and the grind of the intense summer schedule had caught up with him.

“The tennis schedule is so tight,” he said Thursday, just moments after the loss. “I’ve been playing a lot of matches lately, you know, with Roland Garros, with Wimbledon, Olympic…