Even before he stepped on court for his first-round contest against local giant Reilly Opelka at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, world no. 2 Carlos Alcaraz had left the US Open and the tennis fans in sheer bewilderment.
Alcaraz’s buzzcut unveil ahead of Monday night’s clash at Flushing Meadows did not exactly receive overwhelming responses of the right kind, swaying somewhere in the middling range between passable and outright ‘terrible’.
Fresh start (literally)
The stunning hairdo was necessarily the key topic of discussion in the pre-match chat with the players, and the Spaniard was not flustered as he opened up on his decision to opt for an extravagant trim.
“Well, I guess I need anything fresh to start a tournament as well as I can. And I think the U.S. Open suits me pretty well,” Alcaraz said.
Carlos Alcaraz walking up for his pre-match interview for his 1st round U.S. Open match:
“Here comes Carlos Alcaraz. Yes, this is in fact, Carlos Alcaraz.” 💀💀💀
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 26, 2025
One cannot exactly rule out the superstition factor either. After winning his first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open in 2022, Carlos Alcaraz may have kept his hair buzzed for luck. He was sporting a similar short haircut during his 2022 victory, when he became the youngest man to win the tournament since Pete Sampras in 1990.
The Alcaraz buzzcut: Sharapova, Tiafoe and McIlroy stunned
American Francis Tiafoe instantly branded it as a “terrible” choice as he bumped into the five-time Slam winner after his straight-sets win over Yoshihito Nishioka.
“It’s horrible. It’s terrible. It’s definitely terrible. That’s my guy, though,” Tiafoe said. “Funny, I looked at him, and I was like, ‘I guess you’re aerodynamic.’ Juan Carlos ‘Mosquito’ was laughing. He was like, ‘Yeah, he’s faster than he already was’. I was like, ‘Well, that’s a problem’, declared Tiafoe.
Tiafoe comes off court and gets his first look at the new cut for Carlos 👀 pic.twitter.com/fxPCggV5Zz
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 25, 2025
“From a guy who gets haircuts week in, week out, who prides himself on good haircuts, it’s horrendous. But at the end of the day, it’s Carlos, and that’s my guy,” he added.
Golf superstar Rory McIlroy also sported a surprise as he quizzed Alcaraz on the simple but stunning makeover. “Why this?” he asks in a video shared on social media.
Alcaraz explains the new haircut to Rory McIlroy. pic.twitter.com/60qA5hPOuD
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) August 25, 2025
“Just got a haircut that I struggled with. I mean, I had to start fresh,” responded Alcaraz.
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“Yeah, good. I like it. It’s good. I like it,” replied McIlroy.
‘Low maintenance buzz cut’
Only hours after being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, former world no. 1 Maria Sharapova was bracing for an intense discussion on the modern game involving Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the broadcaster’s table in Flushing Meadows. The five-time Grand Slam winner, however, could not shrug of the Spanish star’s super smooth head shave.
“I haven’t gotten to the tennis. I’m still stuck at the buzz cut. It’s so low maintenance. And he just did it. That’s a good effort. I’d be so superstitious. But that’s what you have to love about him is just his ability to be so free and so confident and have this particular aura about him that transcends the game,” remarked Sharapova.
The 23-year-old has certainly amped up the competition, standing a cut above the rest already as he wiped out the Opelka challenge in straight sets: 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.
