Carlos Alcaraz teases new look after brother's 'terrible' buzzcut following US Open triumph
Newly crowned US Open champion mocked a close shave he said his brother botched and shared photos of wigs and bleaching as he hinted at another hairstyle to celebrate
Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday poked fun at a closely shorn haircut he described as "terrible" after his brother wielded the clippers, and teased another hairstyle to come following the Spaniard's US Open title and ascent to world No. 1.
The 22-year-old, who beat Jannik Sinner in four sets to claim his second US Open crown, said the short cut came after an initial mishap with a clipper. "My brother misunderstood with the machine he cut it," Alcaraz told reporters. "And the only way to fix it is to shave it off." He added: "To be honest, it's not that good. It's not that bad, I guess."
Alcaraz showed the new look when he stepped onto court for a first-round match against Reilly Opelka earlier in the tournament, after briefly appearing in the US Open's mixed doubles competition with Emma Raducanu. He posted a series of images from New York that included a behind-the-scenes shot of his brother mid-shave, edited photos lampooning the transformation and a picture of himself apparently trying on a blonde, shoulder-length wig in the back of a taxi.
One photo appeared to show Alcaraz back in the hands of his regular Murcia-based barber, Victor, with aluminium foil around sections of hair, suggesting a bleaching process. Asked what he might do to his hair to celebrate the victory, Alcaraz grinned and said: "(Something) even better. Even better. You will see. You will see. Surprise. Surprise."
Alcaraz maintained his on-court form despite the haircut kerfuffle, his performance culminating in the four-set victory over Sinner that clinched the title in Flushing Meadows and returned him to the top of the ATP rankings. He spent the immediate aftermath in New York at a series of events, including a champion's photoshoot and an after-party in the Meatpacking District where he was joined by public figures.
The champion has returned to Spain after the hectic 48 hours following the final and is scheduled to return to the United States at the end of the month for the Laver Cup in San Francisco, where he will play for Team Europe.