When Carlos Alcaraz showed up at the 2025 US Open with a radical buzz cut, the Spaniard’s shorn-sheep look set the tennis world abuzz.
First, Alcaraz blamed it all on his brother’s ineptitude with the clippers. Then, he quickly owned it. “To be honest, it's not that bad,” he said.
Immediately, players were asked to opine.
“It’s terrible… horrendous,” said Frances Tiafoe.
“I thought he was going for like a David Beckham moment,” said Naomi Osaka. “Maybe next time he should dye it platinum or something.”
Jannik Sinner was cool with it, though. “I think everything suits him. Even like this, it looks good.”
Emma Raducanu agreed. “I think he pulls it off,” said Alcaraz’s mixed doubles partner.
Round 1 vs. Opelka
Still, Alcaraz hardly recognized himself during his first-round victory over Reilly Opelka , saying, “It was funny when I saw myself on the screen with the haircut. It was super white. It’s weird to see myself that white in the hair.”
But Alcaraz’s hair follicles are nothing if not supersonic.
“I feeling angry sometimes because I just feel like I cannot enjoy my haircut that much time,” he said.
“In three days, you’re going to see another hair,” Alcaraz added.
Sinner thought it would fill in even faster: “It grows very fast, so it’s going to be all aligned in two days.”
Curious, we put together these time-lapse photos to show how Alcaraz went from bald to blooming in two weeks. And this might not even be the end of the scalp story. If Alcaraz wins his second US Open title (over Sinner) on Sunday, he promised something “even better—even better” for next year. “You will see. Surprise, surprise!”
Round 2 vs. Mattia Bellucci
Round 3 vs. Luciano Darderi
Round 4 vs.Arthur Rinderknech
Quarterfinals vs. Jiri Lehecka
Semifinals vs. Novak Djokovic
