Alex de Minaur’s New York advantage disappears in a damaging second-round collapse

Alex de Minaur ’s US Open campaign has ended with a straight-sets loss to world No.70 Botic van de Zandschulp, turning a favourable draw and a top-six seeding into another early Grand Slam disappointment.

A familiar New York opportunity, gone early Alex de Minaur’s US Open campaign has ended in the second round, with the sixth-seeded Australian beaten 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 by world No.70 Botic van de Zandschulp. The match was played on Thursday, September 3, and the result was reported in Australia on Friday, September 4. It lasted two hours and 43 minutes. (usopen.org)

The result is damaging because it arrives at a tournament that has repeatedly offered de Minaur a reliable platform. Before this year’s event, the US Open had hosted his first Grand Slam quarter-final and three of his seven major quarter-final appearances. He had also described New York as the place where his game most consistently clicks, with the energy and conditions traditionally helping his speed, defence and counter-punching translate into sustained progress. (usopen.org)

That history made the second-round exit more than a routine loss. De Minaur entered as the No.6 seed, and his opening match had been controlled: he defeated Italian qualifier Andrea Guerrieri 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. Van de Zandschulp was a far more demanding opponent, but he was still ranked outside the top 60 and represented the kind of early-round hurdle a player of de Minaur’s standing is expected to navigate. (usopen.org)

The match never settled on de Minaur’s terms The scoreline points to a contest in which de Minaur was unable to turn his usual advantages into scoreboard pressure. Van de Zandschulp took the first set 6-4, edged the second 7-5 and then pulled away decisively in the third, 6-2. The official US Open tracker recorded the Dutchman as the winner and showed the match ending after three sets. (usopen.org)

De Minaur’s best tennis generally depends on forcing opponents to hit one extra ball, changing direction under pressure and making rallies physically uncomfortable. That approach is most effective when he can establish a rhythm from the return and keep opponents defending. Here, the match moved too far towards van de Zandschulp’s preferred pattern: measured baseline exchanges, enough time to redirect the ball and repeated opportunities to protect small leads.

It would be excessive to reduce the defeat to a single tactical flaw without the complete match statistics or post-match explanation. What is confirmed is the outcome and its shape: de Minaur did not win a set, and the margin widened as the match progressed. The Dutchman’s victory was not a late escape or a five-set survival act; it was a straight-sets win over the tournament’s sixth seed. (usopen.org)

The Grand Slam question returns The immediate issue is not whether de Minaur can still produce elite tennis. His ranking and seeding confirm that he remains one of the leading players in the men’s game. The question is whether he can consistently convert that level into deep Grand Slam runs when the draw gives him a favourable opening and the tournament suits his strengths.

The US Open had been the clearest evidence that he could. It gave him an early breakthrough against Kei Nishikori in 2019, his first win over a top-10 player, and later his first major quarter-final. De Minaur’s own pre-tournament assessment was that New York had repeatedly brought out a higher level. This loss complicates that narrative: the venue may still suit him, but a strong historical record cannot compensate for a poor present-day performance. (usopen.org)

Nor should the defeat automatically be treated as proof that de Minaur cannot challenge the very best. That broader conclusion would require a larger sample and more context around his recent form. The sharper, verified concern is narrower and more immediate: when positioned as a top-six seed at a tournament where he has previously thrived, he has departed before the third round.

For Australian men’s tennis, the result removes its highest-ranked singles player from the US Open before the second week. For de Minaur, it leaves a familiar Grand Slam question unresolved. The next opportunity will not be about rebuilding his reputation from scratch; it will be about showing that his ranking, seeding and established strengths can still produce the deeper major run that New York has long suggested is within reach.

Sources IBM SlamTracker | Official Site of the 2026 US Open Tennis Championships - A USTA Event Alex de Minaur in a happy place ahead of 2026 US Open return | Official Site of the 2026 US Open Tennis Championships - A USTA Event Preview: Botic van de Zandschulp challenge ahead for Alex de Minaur | Official Site of the 2026 US Open Tennis Championships - A USTA Event Alex de Minaur falls in straight sets at US Open IBM SlamTracker: Botic van de Zandschulp v Alex de Minaur, US Open second round Alex de Minaur in a happy place ahead of 2026 US Open return Preview: Botic van de Zandschulp challenge ahead for Alex de Minaur Van de Zandschulp zorgt voor grote verrassing op US Open