Prior to his first-round match at the US Open this year, Carlos Alcaraz debuted shocking new haircut.
After competing in the mixed doubles alongside Emma Raducanu last week with a full head of hair, Alcaraz was seen with a completely shaven head prior to Monday’s match against Reilly Opelka.
While fans theorized that perhaps with the one and only Victor Barber unable to travel to America, Carlos simply decided to shave his head, the world No. 2 dished on the situation while speaking with members of the press post-match.
“I felt like my hair was really long already, and before the tournament, I just really wanted to get a haircut, Suddenly just my brother, he misunderstood with the machine. He just cut it. Then, the only way to fix it was just to shave it off. To be honest, it’s not that bad, I guess.
“Some people like it, some people don’t like it … To be honest, I’m just laughing about the reaction of the people. It is what it is. I can’t do anything else right now, so I’m just laughing about everything they are saying about my haircut.”
You can see his comments below beginning at the 2:30 mark.
Frances Tiafoe Jokes About ‘Horrible’ Alcaraz Haircut
Much like when NBA legend Allen Iverson debuted his new buzz-cut prior to the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, plenty of reactions to Carlos Alcaraz’s haircut was caught on-camera.
After the five-time Grand Slam champ shaved his head, cameras caught an exchange with American star Frances Tiafoe, who looked stunned.
While speaking with members of the press on Monday, Tiafoe joked about the haircut.
“It’s horrible. I mean, it’s definitely terrible. That’s my guy though. Funny, I looked at him, and I was like, ‘I guess you’re aerodynamic.’ and then Juan Carlos (Alcaraz’s coach) was laughing and he’s like ‘yeah he’s faster than he already was,’ and I was like ‘well that’s a problem’.
“I don’t know who told him to do that, but it’s terrible. 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. But yeah, he needs to get with me. He needs to get with me for sure.”
https://x.com/usopen/status/1960127827682144611
Carlos Alcaraz Cruises Past First Round
While Carlos Alcaraz’s haircut has been making headlines at the US Open, the world No. 2 picked up a dominant win over Reilly Opelka in the first round on Monday evening.
Despite Opelka’s rocket of a serve, Alcaraz’s return game seemed to be on point, as 40 of his 107 points won were on the American’s serve.
Alcaraz now advances to the second round, where he will collide with Italian standout Mattia Bellucci, who took a 2-1 lead over Juncheng Shang in the first round before Shang was forced to retire in the fourth set.
Although his haircut is likely to continue to turn heads, Alcaraz and his team are hoping that his stellar on-court play will lead to his second US Open title in Flushing Meadows.
Carlos Alcaraz Breaks Silence on Haircut