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Carlos Alcaraz returns to Botic van De Zandschulp in New York on Thursday. Pic/AFP

Carlos Alcaraz said he was fighting himself as much as Botic van de Zandschulp as he slumped to a stunning US Open second-round defeat on Thursday. "Today I was playing against the opponent, and I was playing against myself, you know, in my mind," he said. "I mean, a lot of emotions that I couldn't control. I was up in some points. Then I lose some points. I get down. It was a rollercoaster, let's say, in my mind," added the World No. 3, who was trying to become just the third man in the modern era to win the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year.

Level of play, a surprise

Alcaraz admitted that 74th-ranked van de Zandschulp surprised him with his level of play in the 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 victory. "He didn't make a lot of mistakes that I thought he was going to do," Alcaraz said. "So I was, you know, confusing a little bit. I didn't know how to manage that, how to deal with it. I couldn't increase my level. I think my level stayed at the same point all the match, and it wasn't enough to win the match or to give myself the chance to get into the match or try to give myself chances."

The 21-year-old, who won the first of his four Grand Slam titles at the US Open in 2022 as he made a meteoric rise to No. 1 in the world, said it's not the first time he's felt unable to take control of a match. He sounded frustrated that he hasn't figured out how to solve the problem. "I'm thinking right now that I'm not changing, and that's the problem," he said. "So I have to think about it, I have to learn about it."

Osaka falls to Muchova

Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka's return to the US Open ended in the second round on Thursday, but the two time champion said she felt "grateful" as she departed in the wake of a straight-sets loss to Karolina Muchova. "It was really fun," Osaka said after falling 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) to the 52nd-ranked Czech under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium. "I felt very grateful that there were so many people cheering. I missed it a lot." Japan's Osaka won the title in 2018 and 2020 but missed last year's edition after the birth of her daughter Shai.

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