Returning to New York after his shock second-round exit at the last edition of the US Open, Carlos Alcaraz kept things business as usual, as he comfortably beat Reilly Opelka at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday to reach the second round. But more than the straight-set win, his striking new buzzcut and the golf-swing celebration triggered a roar from the crowd.
Carlos Alcaraz reached second round in 2025 US Open
Sporting a bordeaux-coloured Rafael Nadal-esque sleeveless top, the second seed humbled the big-serving American 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to begin his US Open 2025 campaign on a winning note, to lift his sixth career major and second at the Flushing Meadows at the end of the fortnight in New York.
Alcaraz celebrated the win with a fresh new celebration, as he took a golf swing after beating Opelka. With golf star Rory McIlroy in the stands, Alcaraz dedicated the win to him. The two earlier met on Monday when Alcaraz was training for his first-round match at the US Open. McIlroy was also in attendance for Novak Djokovic’s match on Sunday.
Taking to the on-court interview, Alcaraz was then asked about his new David Beckham-style haircut and whether it made him feel faster. The Spaniard got the crowd roaring as he asked the spectators, “I gotta ask the people if they like the new haircut or not. Do you like it, guys?” Following the reaction from the crowd, Alcaraz asserted, “I think they like it.”
Later in the press conference, Alcaraz broke the silence on his haircut, explaining that he had planned a trim before the tournament, but a slip of the clipper by his brother left him with no option but to shave it all off.
“Quite different, I guess. 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 the machine. He just cut it, and the only way to fix it is just to shave it off. To be honest, it’s not that good… It’s not that bad, I guess,” he said.
Earlier this year, during the French Open tournament, Alcaraz invited his personal hairstylist, Víctor Martínez, to Paris. The Spaniard said that he isn’t fussy about hairstyles, joking that New York was too far for his usual barber. “I’m the guy who thinks, okay, hair grows, and in a few days it’s gonna be fine. It just happened, and that’s it,” he shrugged.
