Alex de Minaur Shocked by Straight-Sets Loss at US Open

Alex de Minaur’s US Open campaign ended with a jolt in the second round, as the Australian fell in straight sets to Dutch opponent Botic van de Zandschulp in New York.

In a match that dragged across two hours and 43 minutes but never quite caught fire for the Australian, van de Zandschulp imposed himself early and refused to let go, winning 6-4, 7-5, 6-2.

The pressure told from the start. De Minaur, usually so sharp off the ground and relentless in his court coverage, struggled to find his usual depth and consistency, while the Dutchman settled quickly behind a heavy first serve and clean baseline hitting. The opening set slipped away 6-4, a warning sign that this would not be routine progress for the Australian.

Just when de Minaur looked ready to wrestle back control in the second, van de Zandschulp tightened the screws again. Games stretched, rallies lengthened, but the key points kept falling the Dutchman’s way. He edged the set 7-5, leaving de Minaur staring at a two-set deficit and the brink of an early exit.

The third set underlined the shift in momentum. Van de Zandschulp, playing with growing confidence, broke early and accelerated away, closing out the match 6-2 to complete a straight-sets victory and seal de Minaur’s elimination in what ABC News Australia described as an unexpected defeat.

De Minaur leaves the tournament without a set to his name in the second round, while van de Zandschulp marches on, having turned a tricky assignment into a statement win on one of the sport’s biggest stages.