Defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz is a man of the people.
The Spaniard’s decision to forego an undershirt during his early-round wins quickly went viral, leaving fans, analysts and fellow players amused and distracted. Leading the reaction was former Wimbledon finalist Genie Bouchard, who publicly urged him after his second-round win against Jaime Faria to “put the nip away.”
During his third-round win against Wu Yibing on Friday, the Spaniard made an adjustment to his wardrobe in the form of an undershirt. The nipple was gone.
Genie took credit for Alcaraz’s change in attire.
Carlos Alcaraz Puts the Nipple Away
However Alcaraz insisted that the attire change was his own decision.
“Well, I think I’ve been seeing too much of my nipples lately,” Alcaraz joked after his 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 win in the third round. “I felt like I could hide it at least for one match.”
“I feel really comfortable with another shirt. So I think I’m going to stay like that,” the seven-time major winner added.
“No, it was my decision,” he said when asked if he changed his outfit due to peer pressure. “I wouldn’t have minded playing like that again, but if we do something about it, it was good.”
“I saw my nipple too much lately”
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Carlos Alcaraz Storms into 4th Round
Despite a 136-day layoff from competitive tennis before his US Open title defense, Alcaraz hasn’t missed a beat this past week.
The 23-year-old has dropped just one set so far, comfortably dispatching his first three opponents: Roman Safiullin, Jaime Faria, and Wu Yibing.
Even Alcaraz is surprised by his quick recovery.
“It didn’t happen to me,” Alcaraz said of feeling rust after his comeback, via ATP Tour.
“I am feeling better and better after every match,” he continued. “It feels like I have been competing the whole time. So it surprised me the way that I’m feeling and the way that I’m recovering after every match.
“I’m just really happy about how I’m able to perform at my best after every match. Doesn’t matter if I’m playing four or three sets. So I’m just really happy about it.”
Alcaraz will next face American Tommy Paul in the fourth round. He owns a career 6-2 career head-to-head record against the American, which includes victories at this year’s Australian Open (fourth round) and last year’s French Open (quarterfinal). The Spaniard hasn’t lost to Paul since the quarterfinal of the Canadian Masters in 2023.
The winner of the Alcaraz vs Paul match will face either Ben Shelton or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinal next week.
Carlos Alcaraz Fixes Wardrobe Malfunction at US Open: ‘I Had to Hide It’