Carlos Alcaraz turned heads at the US Open even before stepping onto the court. His dramatic buzzcut transformation stole the spotlight, creating a social media frenzy and leaving fans divided. But when the lights blazed at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday night, the Spanish star let his racket do the talking, cruising past Reilly Opelka in straight sets while the crowd buzzed about more than just his tennis.
How Did the US Open Crowd React to Carlos Alcaraz’s Shocking New Buzzcut?
The buzzcut had already sparked intense debate on social media, but Monday night in Flushing Meadows belonged to Alcaraz’s dominant tennis. The 22-year-old seized control early, taking down the big-serving American 6-4 in the opening set.
Opelka came out firing with fearless serves and heavy groundstrokes, but Alcaraz’s baseline consistency proved too much to handle. The Spaniard sealed the next two sets 7-5, 6-4 to advance to the US Open second round.
However, the crowd’s opinion on his dramatic hairstyle change remained the burning question. During his on-court interview, Alcaraz decided to settle the debate by polling the Arthur Ashe Stadium audience directly. The response was immediate and thunderous.
“I gotta ask the people if they liked the new haircut or not? (Cheers) I think they liked it,” he said, flashing his trademark smile.
Carlos polls the crowd on the new haircut 😅 🗳️ pic.twitter.com/RtsvyhAHMP
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 26, 2025
Beyond the style debate, Alcaraz remained focused on the tennis challenge at hand. He acknowledged how difficult it was to find rhythm against Opelka’s powerful serve.
“Today was a really difficult one against a really great player. With [Reilly’s] serve, I couldn’t get that rhythm I wanted to get in the match, but just really happy with everything I’ve done today,” he said on court.
What impressed Alcaraz most about his own performance was his ability to handle those thunderous serves. The return game became his weapon of choice against the towering American.
“I think the return was one of the best things I did today, and then I just tried to play my best tennis, be focused on the serve. I think overall, I did a great performance today,” he added.
What Did Fellow Players Think of Carlos Alcaraz’s Dramatic Hair Transformation?
The locker room reactions proved far more brutal than the crowd’s approval. After his first-round victory over Yoshihito Nishioka, Frances Tiafoe spotted Alcaraz in the cooldown gym and immediately targeted the buzzcut. The American didn’t hold back during his press conference, delivering a savage verdict.
“I mean it’s definitely terrible. That’s my guy though. Funny, I looked at him and I was like, ‘I guess you are aerodynamic.’ I don’t know who told him to do that…but it’s terrible,” he said with a laugh.
La honestidad de Tiafoe sobre el corte de Carlitos 😂 pic.twitter.com/39Z5wB6UIj
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 25, 2025
American tennis legend John McEnroe joined the commentary circus, delivering his own colorful take on the hairstyle choice. The seven-time Grand Slam champion couldn’t resist questioning the economics of Alcaraz’s grooming decisions.
“First of all his haircut.. did he get the buzz cut from his hair stylist in Spain? He brought him in at Wimbledon. I’m wondering because you can get that for 20 bucks in the city,” he said.
John McEnroe on Carlos Alcaraz’ haircut ahead of his U.S. Open match against Reilly Opelka:
“First of all his haircut.. did he get the buzz cut from his hair stylist in Spain? He brought him in at Wimbledon. I’m wondering because you can get that for 20 bucks in the city” 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/z38n2SCg8q
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 26, 2025
The story behind the radical transformation finally emerged through a conversation with golf star Rory McIlroy. The motivation became clear when Alcaraz admitted he had grown frustrated with his previous hairstyle and decided to start completely fresh.
