Botic admits his first impression of Alcaraz was ‘incredible’ | ATP Tour

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Botic admits that his first impression of Alcaraz was ‘incredible’

The Dutchman explains his foot injuries

August 29, 2024

Three years ago, Botic van de Zandschulp faced Carlos Alcaraz for the first time in the first round of the Australian Open. Both players were qualifiers, new to the tour, and their match took place on an outdoor court at Melbourne Park. Van de Zandschulp was No. 151 in the PIF ATP Rankings and Alcaraz, just 17, was ranked No. 141 in the world.

“What impressed me the most was how he started. He was totally switched on, very aggressive in a good way. I needed some time, we had never played against each other,” Van de Zandschulp told ATPTour.com. “Of course I had seen him play and heard all the things people said about him. But that’s what struck me the most: the ferocity with which he played, the way he hit the ball, the power he had. That was impressive.”

Alcaraz won the match 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 and they will face each other again this Thursday. major in the second round of the US Open. This time, the Spaniard will take to the court as a four-time Grand Slam champion.

“It’s always nice to play against players like Alcaraz, Djokovic, Sinner… For example, I’ve played Sinner twice this year. The second time we played in the first round. And you think: ‘Could we play a little later in the tournament?'” joked Van de Zandschulp. “But it’s always interesting to play against these kinds of players. After the match, you always evaluate where you need to improve, what kind of situations or shots. You can learn a lot from those matches.”

Basilea 2022 Highlights: Alcaraz vs Van de Zandschulp

It’s a big opportunity for a player who hasn’t competed against a Top 10 player since April. The Dutchman hasn’t had an easy past year and a half, where he has struggled to regain form after battling foot injuries.

“Last year I had injuries that were much more serious than this season. In April [del año pasado] “I had a bone edema in my left foot. Then I twisted my ankle. I needed time to recover from the bone edema, it was difficult to put on the shoe with that problem,” said Van de Zandschulp. “After recovering, I twisted my ankle and damaged a ligament. It was the same foot.”

The pain was difficult to tolerate. “I tried everything, like not tying my laces, leaving some space. But the pressure is constant. If you tie your laces too tightly, you feel a constant pressure on the top of your foot. You notice it for a while.”

“They thought I might have damaged a nerve, and a nerve needs years to recover. The pain is permanent, it’s always there. Some players are more skilled at playing and tolerating that kind of pain. In my case, it was the first time I had suffered something like that. It was very difficult for me.”

The Dutchman explained that he returned “rather early” because he wanted to compete in the US Open. He ended up recovering in October, but a series of circumstances forced him to take a longer route.

“I had an infection in my right foot. It was the cause of my problems all year,” said Van de Zandschulp. “I have to say that you need time until you feel 100% confident with your foot. That took me a while.”

Van de Zandschulp recovered late in the season, but the injury caused him to fall in the PIF ATP Rankings. The former world No. 22 dropped to No. 115 in April and was forced to play tough matches at the start of tournaments, sapping his confidence.

“You can lose a lot, if you play against good opponents. I think everyone is playing at an incredible level on the tour,” Van de Zandschulp said. “It’s not often you see someone winning every match. That makes it a bit harder if you don’t win many matches for four or five weeks. You hardly have time to train. That’s difficult.”

Van de Zandschulp has returned to World No. 74 after posting strong results on the ATP Challenger Tour, reaching two finals since the beginning of July. The Dutchman will face Alcaraz for the third time in their Lexus ATP Head2Head history, the first since their duel in Basel 2022, which the Spaniard won 6-4, 6-2.

“He developed from Australia to Basel in a year and a half, maybe two years, to being a complete tennis player,” Van de Zandschulp said. “When we met in Basel, I didn’t know what to expect. He could serve and volley, he could do anything with the ball. For me, the match was totally different than in Australia.”