Alex de Minaur has suffered his earliest US Open exit in five years after the sixth-seeded Australian was beaten 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 by Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round at Flushing Meadows.
De Minaur, a three-time quarter-finalist in New York, had been expected to progress against the Dutchman but struggled to impose his pace and defensive game on the match.
The defeat ends his hopes of another deep run at the final Grand Slam of the season and marks his first US Open loss before the third round since 2021.
Van de Zandschulp produced a composed display to complete a straight-sets victory, having already shown his ability to cause major upsets on these courts. The 30-year-old reached the quarter-finals in 2021 and defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the second round two years ago.
De Minaur had won all four of his previous meetings with van de Zandschulp, including a three-set victory in Rotterdam earlier this year. The Australian had also reached the last eight at the US Open in both 2024 and 2025.
The result represents a significant setback for de Minaur, who climbed to a career-high fifth in the ATP rankings earlier this summer and arrived in New York as one of the leading contenders in his section of the draw.
