Alex Trelinski
SPAIN’S Carlos Alcaraz made headlines for his new ‘marine-style’ haircut in the early hours of Tuesday morning at the US Open in New York.
His comfortable straight sets first round win over American Reilly Opelka was almost a side-issue.
In the lead up to the final Grand Slam of the year, the Murcia player had a full head of hair on the practice courts, but stunned fans with his new appearance today.
He was also forced to explain the reason for his changed appearance at his post-match news conference.
Alcaraz said: “I just felt that my hair was already very long, so I really wanted to cut it before the start of the tournament.”
“Suddenly, I was alone with my brother Alvaro, but he got the razor wrong and the only way to fix it was to shave it off completely, so that’s exactly what I did, hence this new cut.”
“The truth is, I don’t like my hair. I’m laughing a lot at people’s reaction, that’s the truth. When I saw myself on the screen entering the stadium, it was very strange to see myself so white and hairless. I hope it helped me get a little faster,” he added.
One of his best tennis friends, America’s Francis Tiafoe reacted: “It’s horrible. Terrible. I looked at him and thought, I guess you’re aerodynamic.”
“I don’t know who told him it was okay. I don’t know who told him to do it, but it’s terrible. For someone who cuts his hair week after week and prides himself on his good cuts, this is horrible. But, at the end of the day, he’s Carlos, he’s my friend, even though he needs me.”
As for the tennis, Carlos Alcaraz plays Italian Mattia Bellucci in the second round on Wednesday.
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