Botic van de Zandschulp is a Dutch professional tennis player who was born on October 4, 1995, in Wageningen, Netherlands. After starting playing tennis at a young age, the Dutchman progressed onto the ITF and ATP Challenger Tours in his teenage years.
It could be said that Van der Zandschulp was a somewhat late bloomer to the sport, with him spending around ten years on the ITF and ATP Challenger Tours before eventually making his main tour ATP debut in 2021 at the Great Ocean Road Open in Melbourne.
The Dutchman certainly took his opportunity, reaching the quarterfinals, where he ended up stumbling to hurdle by the name of Russian powerhouse Karen Khachanov. This success was quickly backed up, with him seeing off three qualifying rounds to set up a first-round clash against Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open.
Despite not being able to replicate a similar form in the qualifying rounds at other lower-level ATP tournaments, he did manage to qualify for the remaining Grand Slams. He ended up winning his first rounds at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon before eventually falling in the second rounds.
His major breakthrough came at that year’s US Open, however, with the then 26-year-old seeing off opponents such as Casper Ruud and Diego Schwartzman before ultimately losing in four sets to eventual winner Daniil Medvedev. With this stellar performance, he became just the first player to reach the quarterfinals of the tournament after having gone through the qualifying rounds.
This outstanding run set him on his way to propel up the rankings, gaining him access to more and more tournaments. In search of more game time and experience on the professional tour, Van der Zandschulp also dabbled in the doubles scene.
Just one season after his unforgettable run in New York, he claimed his first taste of silverware, winning the doubles title at the European Open in Antwerp. 2022 also brought him the highest ranking so far in his career when he achieved the number 22 spot.
The Dutchman is still yet to claim his first singles title on the ATP tour, but it is only a matter of time before the talented right-hander gets his name engraved on one of the coveted trophies from the circuit.
