Alex de Minaur Outplayed by van de Zandschulp at US Open

Alex de Minaur’s US Open ended with a jolt in the second round, the Australian bundled out in straight sets by Dutch opponent Botic van de Zandschulp in New York.

In a match that stretched to two hours and 43 minutes, de Minaur never quite found the rhythm or bite that usually underpins his hard‑court game. Van de Zandschulp, by contrast, grew stronger as the contest wore on, closing out a 6–4, 7–5, 6–2 victory and booking his place in the next round.

Match Overview

The tone was set early. De Minaur chased, retrieved, tried to stretch rallies as he so often does, but the Dutchman held firm behind a heavy first serve and measured aggression from the baseline. The first set slipped away 6–4, a warning that this would not follow the expected script.

The pressure built in the second. De Minaur had chances, half‑openings that might have dragged the match into a different shape, yet van de Zandschulp repeatedly shut the door. At 7–5, the set – and effectively the match – belonged to the Dutchman, who played the bigger points with greater clarity.

Once two sets down, de Minaur’s resistance faded. Van de Zandschulp sensed it and went for the throat. The rallies shortened, the scoreboard quickened, and the third set raced to 6–2, sealing an upset that ABC News Australia described as unexpected.

For de Minaur, it was a straight‑sets exit, no foothold on the scoreboard and no way back into the tournament. For van de Zandschulp, a statement win and a surge of momentum into the later stages of the US Open.