Rory McIlroy approached Carlos Alcaraz on the practice courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, his curiosity piqued by the young tennis star's striking new buzz cut. “Why this?” he asked, rubbing Alcaraz’s freshly shorn head.
Alcaraz, 22, explained the decision behind his dramatic hairstyle change. “Just got a haircut that I struggled with. I mean, I had to start fresh,” he said, revealing the backstory of his new look.
McIlroy, who recently opted for a similar shaved style himself, responded positively, stating, “I like it. It’s good. It’s a good look.” Their exchange took place on August 25, just before Alcaraz's first-round match against Reilly Opelka.
Later that day, McIlroy watched as Alcaraz triumphed over Opelka in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. After the match, Alcaraz elaborated on the buzz cut's origins. “I felt like my hair was really long. Before the tournament, I just really wanted to get a haircut. Suddenly, my brother misunderstood the machine. He just cut it and the only way to fix it was to shave it off,” he recounted.
Despite the mixed reactions to his new look, Alcaraz remained optimistic. “To be honest, it’s not that bad,” he remarked.
However, not everyone shared his enthusiasm. Frances Tiafoe, another American tennis player, did not hold back when asked about Alcaraz’s haircut. “Yeah, it’s horrible,” Tiafoe stated bluntly during an interview with Tennis Channel. “It’s terrible.”
Tiafoe continued with a light-hearted jab at Alcaraz’s choice. “I don’t know who told him that it’s good. I don’t know who told him to do that, but it’s terrible. From a guy who gets haircuts week in, week out and prides myself on good haircuts, it’s horrendous.” Despite his critique, Tiafoe added, “At the end of the day, it’s Carlos, and that’s my guy. But yeah, he needs to get with me.”
In a humorous twist, Tiafoe suggested that Alcaraz’s buzz cut might actually enhance his performance on the court. “I joked that it would make him more aerodynamic,” he said.
Interestingly, Tiafoe mentioned that Alcaraz's coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, had noted an improvement in Alcaraz's speed since the haircut. “[Ferrero] was like, ‘Yeah, he’s faster than he already was,’” Tiafoe recalled with a laugh. “I was like, ‘Well, that’s a problem.’”
On the same day, Tiafoe also secured a victory at the US Open, defeating Yoshihito Nishioka in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. This win set up an all-American matchup against Martin Damm Jr. in the second round.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz will face Italian Matteo Bellucci in his next match on August 27, sporting his controversial new hairstyle.
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