Carlos Alcaraz explains haircut at US Open, cruises to first-round win over Reilly Opelka
The world's No. 2 ditched his mane for an unrecognizable buzz
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1 min read
Carlos Alcaraz was almost unrecognizable when he stepped on the court against Reilly Opelka for his first-round match the US Open. His usual bushy, mop haircut was replaced by an unexpected buzz cut as a result of a pre-game mishap involving his brother.
Donning a purple Nike kit, Alcaraz dispatched the American 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 before diving into questions concerning his look.
"Quite different I guess," Alcaraz said. "I mean, it was just ... I felt like my hair was really long already. And before the tournament I said that I really wanted to get a haircut. Suddenly, my brother just misunderstood with the machine. He just cut it and the only way to fix it is just to shave it off. And it came, this haircut. To be honest, it's not that good, it's not that bad I guess."
Victor Martinez, Alcaraz's usual barber who lives in Spain, was not available to trim his hair.
"New York is too far away for Victor. I'm not really into hair at all," Alcaraz said. "I'm the guy who thinks like, 'Okay, hair grows,' and in a few days it's going to be okay I guess. It just happened and that's it."
Carlos polls the crowd on the new haircut 😅 🗳️ pic.twitter.com/RtsvyhAHMP
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 26, 2025
Alcaraz didn't lose a break point and won 86% of his first service points against Opelka. He finished with 23 winners to just 17 unforced errors. Alcaraz said he "felt faster" with his buzz cut before complimenting his opening opponent.
"Opelka is such a tough opponent, big serve. He doesn't let you go on rallies," Alcaraz said. "It was difficult for me to get the good rhythm and the good feeling from the baseline. So I just tried to return well, playing as long a point as I can and trying to get the good rhythm and the good feeling.
"So it was a difficult first round, but overall I just really happy with the way that I managed everything that I played today. Good return, good point from the baseline, good serve. So I just wanted to keep it going.
Alcaraz is one of the pre-tournament favorites and is gunning for his fifth grand slam. The Spaniard will face 24-year-old Mattia Bellucci in the second round for the first time in his career.
