Alcaraz explains his controversial look

Carlos Alcaraz attracted notice with his unexpectedly shaved head during the first round of the 2025 US Open.

At the US Open, Carlos Alcaraz’s hairstyle sparked even more discussion than his tennis performance, as the second seed easily advanced to the second round in New York.

The Spanish player appeared at Flushing Meadows before his match against Reilly Opelka sporting a very surprising shaved head.

After winning 6-4, 7-5, 6-4, Alcaraz asked the crowd about his new look and received a loud cheer in response: “I have to ask everyone if they like this hairstyle. Do you like it? I think they do.”

However, his close friend and rival, Frances Tiafoe, disagreed. The American player commented from behind the scenes: “Honestly, it’s really bad. But he’s still my friend. I looked and thought: ‘Maybe now he’s more aerodynamic.’ I don’t know who told him this haircut looks good, but it’s really terrible.”

During the press conference, Alcaraz revealed the real reason behind his shaved head: “I felt my hair was getting quite long, and before the tournament, I just wanted a trim. But my brother misunderstood and used clippers, cutting too much. The only fix was to shave it all off. Actually, it’s not that bad.”

While the hairstyle caused controversy, Alcaraz’s on-court performance received high praise. The world No. 2 maintained his unbeaten record in the first round of Grand Slams. He managed to handle Opelka’s powerful serves well, avoided the risk of a tie-break, and secured a spot to face Italian player Mattia Bellucci in the next round.

Right after the match, Alcaraz playfully mimicked a golf swing with his racket as a greeting to the special spectator in the stands, the famous golfer Rory McIlroy.

“Today was a very tough match,” Alcaraz said. “My opponent served strongly and made things difficult. I didn’t get the rhythm I wanted, but I’m very satisfied with everything I showed. Overall, I played a very good match.”