Carlos Alcaraz won two Grand Slam titles in 2024, as he took his Major tally to four.
Alcaraz enjoyed another successful year on the ATP Tour, winning four titles and finishing the year as world number three.
The Spaniard won his third Grand Slam title at the French Open before Alcaraz defended his Wimbledon title against Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz then won the China Open, at the end of the year, as he beat rival Jannik Sinner to the title in Beijing.
He struggled with illness at the ATP Finals in Turin, as Alcaraz was knocked out in the group stages.
Regardless, he had a very strong year, picking up two Major titles, but it was back in 2021 that his Grand Slam journey began.
Botic van de Zandschulp: The first man to lose to Carlos Alcaraz at a Grand Slam
Alcaraz made his Grand Slam debut at the 2021 Australian Open as a teenager, with the tennis world excited to see what the Spaniard could do.
There had been a lot of talk about just how good ‘the next Rafael Nadal‘ would be, and they finally got to see him in action down under.
His first opponent at the Grand Slam level was Botic van de Zandschulp, the Dutch star who was ranked outside of the world’s top 150.
Both men were looking for their first Grand Slam wins, but it was the Spaniard who came out on top in Melbourne.
Alcaraz dominated the first set 6-1, before taking the next two 6-4, as he secured his first ever win at a Major tournament.
The now four-time Grand Slam champion came up against Mikael Ymer in the second round, as he was knocked out in four sets, but had certainly announced himself on the world’s stage.
Van de Zandschulp had to wait just a few more months for his maiden Slam win, as he came back from two sets down to shock Hubert Hurkacz at the French Open.
He then scored his best-ever Grand Slam result later in the year, as he took down Carlos Taberner, Casper Ruud, Facundo Bagnis, and Diego Schwartzman on his way to the US Open quarter-finals, where he fell to eventual champion Daniil Medvedev.
New York just so happened to be the site of another Van de Zandschulp, Alcaraz battle in 2024, as the pair faced off once more at a Grand Slam.
This time, in the second round, Van de Zandschulp shocked Alcaraz, knocking him out of the tournament in straight sets.
It was Alcaraz’s worst performance at a Major tournament since 2021, as Van de Zandschulp secured the highest ranked win of his career.
Not quite the end of the pair’s story in 2024 however, as things flared up once more in Malaga, last month.
How did Botic van de Zandschulp break Carlos Alcaraz’s heart in 2024?
Van de Zandschulp’s victory over Alcaraz at the US Open wasn’t the last time the Dutchman hurt the Spaniard in 2024.
Alcaraz had dreamt of working alongside his idol Nadal, to give him a fitting send-off at the Davis Cup Finals.
Nadal played his final singles match against Van de Zandschulp in Spain’s quarter-final tie with the Netherlands.
The 38-year-old lost in straight sets, giving the Dutch a 1-0 lead, before Alcaraz beat Tallon Griekspoor to send things to a decider.
Once again, Alcaraz and Van de Zandschulp found themselves across the court from one another, as Wesley Koolhof and Marcel Granollers got involved in the doubles.
Knowing that defeat would bring an end to Nadal’s career in tennis, Alcaraz was determined to keep his idol involved in the sport for as long as possible.
Both sets went to a tiebreak, as all four men played sensational tennis at times, but eventually the Dutch duo proved just too much, as they won the tie, retiring Nadal.
Alcaraz and the Spanish crowd were devastated, as for the second time in just a few months, Van de Zandschulp had crushed his dreams.
Van de Zandschulp and the Netherlands went on to reach the final in Malaga, as they fell just short to Sinner and Italy.
Another chapter in the unlikely story of Alcaraz and Van de Zandschulp had come to a close, with fans now excited as to what 2025 could potentially bring.
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