Carlos Alcaraz is well aware that his new buzzcut is causing quite a stir. Hardly had the tennis sensation unveiled his radical new hairdo during his opening match at the 2025 U.S. Open on August 25th when he shared the whimsical rationale behind his shortened locks. "Well, I figured I needed something fresh to kickstart the tournament on a high note," quipped the 22-year-old to reporters in a post-game interview, as reported by The Tennis Letter. "Besides, I think the U.S. Open suits me splendidly with this look."
Indeed, the Spanish athlete—who made history in 2022 as the youngest player to claim the U.S. Open crown—waited patiently until his high-stakes encounter with Reilly Opelka to take a bold leap with his mane. Earlier, on August 19th, he sported his signature, albeit slightly tapered, floppy hairstyle during the tournament's mixed doubles match, alongside Emma Raducanu, though they ultimately fell short. However, Carlos redeemed himself with a solo victory against Reilly.
After undergoing his dramatic hair transformation, several fellow athletes, including tennis star Frances Tiafoe, didn't mince their words about Carlos' new look. "Let's just say, it's undeniably dreadful," joked Frances, 27, to reporters on the same day. "But he's my buddy, so it's kind of hilarious. When I saw him, I thought, 'Well, I guess you're aerodynamic now.' I wonder who convinced him it looked good. Whoever suggested this to him, it's a disaster." He elaborated further, "As someone who gets a haircut every week and prides myself on having great haircuts, this is horrendous."
It seems Carlos' family gave him the green light for his daring chop. In fact, the 22-time ATP Tour singles champion revealed that one of his brothers inadvertently gave him the polarizing haircut. "My brother got a bit confused with the clippers and ended up cutting it like this," Carlos explained in another post-match interview. "And the only solution was to shave it all off."
While he refrained from sharing his original intended style, Carlos still gave his siblings credit for attempting to bring his vision to life. "Honestly, it's not exactly stellar," he added, swiftly correcting himself. "But hey, it's not all that bad, I suppose."
