ALCARAZ, OSAKA RUE EARLY EXITS

Olympic silver medallist lacks energy, Japanese 'feels like my heart dies every time I lose'

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Former US Open champions and four-time Grand Slam winners Carlos Alcaraz and Naomi Osaka were knocked out of Flushing Meadows on Aug 29, as the final Major of the year lost two of its biggest crowd-pullers.

A tired Alcaraz said he was fighting himself as much as against Botic van de Zandschulp, after the world No. 3 and 2022 winner in New York was stunned by the 74thranked Dutchman 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in the second round.

Osaka, who counts the 2018 and 2020 US Opens among her four Slams, slipped to a 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) loss to Czech Karolina Muchova, the world No. 52.

Alcaraz, 21, had made at least the quarter-finals in his three previous US Open appearances, and this defeat was his earliest at a Slam since a second-round exit at Wimbledon in 2021.

The loss also ended the third seed's dream of becoming only the third man in the modern era to win the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open in the same season.

"The tennis schedule is so tight. I've been playing a lot of matches lately with Roland Garros, with Wimbledon, Olympic Games," said Alcaraz, who lost a draining Olympic final to Novak Djokovic in Paris just over three weeks ago.