World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz unveiled a buzz cut at the ongoing US Open on Monday, but while his drastic new hairstyle drew mixed reviews — including close friend Frances Tiafoe jokingly calling it “terrible” — his tennis was flawless as he brushed aside Reilly Opelka 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to reach the second round.
The 22-year-old Spaniard, who lifted his maiden Grand Slam trophy in New York in 2022, was in full control against the towering 6ft 11in American, combining razor-sharp returning with clean, aggressive ball-striking.
“Today was really difficult against a really great player,” Alcaraz said on court. “With Reilly’s serve, I couldn’t get the rhythm I wanted, but I think the return was one of the best things I did today. Overall, I played a great performance.”
A Sharp Start
Alcaraz broke in the fifth game of the opening set and never looked back, sealing it with ease, the second set brought his only wobble, as he hit back-to-back double faults to hand Opelka two break points, but the American failed to capitalise. Instead, the second seed broke in the 11th game before serving out to love.
In the third set, Opelka matched Alcaraz until the ninth game, when a foot fault and a loose service game opened the door. Alcaraz broke to go 5-4 up and finished the job in style with a blistering forehand winner on his first match point.
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Alcaraz later revealed that his crew cut was not entirely planned, joking that it was the result of a misstep from his brother.
“My brother just misunderstood the machine. He just cut it. Then the only way to fix it was to shave it off,” Alcaraz laughed. “Some people like it, some don’t. I’m just laughing at the reactions.”
Next Challenge
The world No. 2, chasing his second Grand Slam of the season and sixth overall, will face Italian Mattia Bellucci in the second round.
For Alcaraz, the haircut may have divided opinion, but his tennis left no room for debate: streamlined look or not, he remains one of the men to beat at Flushing Meadows.