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Carlos Alcaraz Blames Brother for Bad Haircut at US Open

Carlos Alcaraz relied on his brother instead of a barber for his haircut at the US Open.
Pat Benson|
Carlos Alcaraz explained how his brother struggled to give him a haircut.
Carlos Alcaraz explained how his brother struggled to give him a haircut. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

On Monday night, ATP World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz kicked off his 2025 US Open campaign with a straight-sets win over Reilly Opelka: 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. Unfortunately, Alcaraz's solid play was overshadowed by his new haircut.

Just before the match, Alcaraz debuted a bold new buzz cut that immediately drew attention from fans, players, and media. As the evening progressed, Alcaraz's defense of his haircut gradually waned.

"Well, I guess I need anything fresh to start a tournament as well as I can. And I think the US Open suits me pretty well," Alcaraz said in his pre-match interview.

In his on-court interview after the match, Alcaraz was asked if the new haircut made him faster on the court. The 22-year-old deflected and asked the crowd, "I gotta ask the people if they like the new haircut or not. Did you like it, guys?"

The crowd cheered, and Alcaraz said with a smile, "I think they like it." However, Alcaraz was far from finished defending his new hairstyle. He would eventually throw his brother under the bus (much to relief of his embattled barber).

Alcaraz explained in his post-match press conference, "I felt like my hair was really long already. And before the tournament, I said that I really want to get a haircut.

Suddenly, my brother 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."

When asked why Alcaraz's barber did not cut his hair, the five-time Grand Slam champion said, "New York is too far away for Victor. I'm not really into the hair at all. I'm the guy who thinks like, 'okay hair grows,' and in a few days it's gonna be okay, I guess. It just happened and that's it."

After last night's win, Alcaraz improves to 55-6 on the season with six singles titles. The Spanish superstar wants to stop Jannik Sinner from repeating as the US Open champion and reclaim the title he won in 2022.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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