in a shocking turn of events at the US Open two of tennis's brightest stars Carlos alcaraz and Naomi Osaka faced early exits in the second round of the tournament this unexpected development has sent ripples through the tennis world as both players have been prominent figures in the sport with significant achievements and high expectations heading into the event Carlos alcaraz ranked third in the world was particularly expected to make a Deep Run in the tournament the 21-year-old Spaniard has consistently performed well in Grand Slams never failing to reach at least the quarterfinals in his previous three appearances at the US Open his recent form was Stella having won the French Open in June followed by a victory at Wimbledon and even clinching a silver medal at the Paris Olympics given this record few would have predicted his defeat at the hands of the 74th ranked btic VY Zan shop from the Netherlands Vander xop a 28-year-old Dutch player delivered a masterful performance to defeat alcaraz in straight sets 61 75 64 this victory was particularly sweet for vaner anop who had only reached one grand slam quarterfinal in his career back in 2021 at the US Open his journey this year has been one of resilience and determination especially after publicly contemplating retirement earlier this year his win over alcaraz marks a significant milestone in his career and propels him into a third round matchup against the 25th F seed Jack Draper from the United Kingdom alcaraz's performance was noticeably below his usual standards he struggled from the start committing a high number of unforced errors and failing to convert opportunities that would typically be routine for him his game characterized by precision and power seemed off with only 21 winners compared to his 27 unforced errors after the match alcaraz candidly admitted that he had not brought the energy needed for the match attributing some of his struggles to a brief break following the Olympics his recent form had already shown signs of vulnerability with a loss in the first round of the Cincinnati open earlier this month and an ankle twist that had raised concerns reflecting on his defeat alcaraz acknowledged that he had faced a mental battle during the match he praised van Des anop for playing a clean game and for not making the mistakes alcaraz had anticipated this psychological struggle combined with Van Des Shop's solid play ultimately led to alcaraz's early exit from the tournament on the women's side Naomi Osaka's journey in the US Open also came to an end sooner than many had hoped the former world no one now ranked 88th has been on a challenging Road since her return to tennis after taking time off in 2021 for mental health reasons and again in 2022 following the birth of her daughter Osaka has been working to regain her form on the court despite her struggles Osaka has a decorated history at the US Open having won the women's singles title twice in 2018 and 2020 Osaka's second round defeat came at the hands of Carolina muchova ranked 52nd in the world muchova who had a strong 2023 season before being sidelined by a wrist injury managed to outlast Osaka in a competitive match winning 63 765 Osaka entered the match with momentum having secured an impressive victory in the first round against the 10th seed Jalena ostapenko that win her first against a top 10 opponent in four years had raised hopes that Osaka might be poised for a deeper run in the tournament however mover's consistent play and ability to remain composed during high pressure moments proved to be the difference Osaka who admitted to feeling nervous during key points in the match struggled to find her Rhythm after the match she expressed a mix of Pride and disappointment while she was pleased with her progress in reaching the second round she also acknowledged the pain of losing describing it as a feeling that sucks a lot Osaka's Journey Back To The Top will require more time and experience particularly in handling the pressures of big stage matches as the US Open progresses without these two stars the tournament remains wide open with new opportunities for lesser known players to make their Mark the early exits of alcaraz and Osaka are a reminder of the unpredictable nature of sports where even the most accomplished athletes can face unexpected challenges as the US Open continues the unexpected exits of alcaraz and Osaka have left the tournament wide open for new stars to shine stay tuned for more updates and Analysis as we follow the unfolding drama at this year's final Grand Slam don't forget to like subscribe and hit the notification Bell for all the latest in tennis news