Rory McIlroy gave his trustworthy evaluation of Carlos Alcaraz's dramatic new coiffure, which has dominated dialog on the 2025 US Open.
McIlroy, 36, paid a visit to Alcaraz, 22, on the practice courts on the USTA Billie Jean King Nationwide Tennis Heart in New York Metropolis on Monday, August 25, earlier than the Spanish tennis star's first spherical match towards American participant Reilly Opelka.
The 2025 Masters champion rubbed Alcaraz's newly buzzed head and requested, “Why this?”
“Simply obtained a haircut that I struggled with,” Alcaraz defined to McIlroy. “I imply, I needed to begin contemporary.”
McIlroy, who not too long ago shaved his personal head, mentioned, “I prefer it. It's good. It's look.”
Hours later, McIlroy was inside Arthur Ashe Stadium to look at Alcaraz defeat Opelka in straight units, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.
After the match, Alcaraz offered extra particulars about how his divisive new haircut got here to be.
“I felt like my hair was actually lengthy,” he advised reporters. “Earlier than the event, I simply actually needed to get a haircut. All of the sudden, my brother misunderstood the machine. He simply lower it and the one method to repair [was] to shave it off.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 25: Carlos Alcaraz reacts towards Reilly Opelka of the USA throughout their Males's Singles First Spherical match on Day Two of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King Nationwide Tennis Heart on August 25, 2025. Elsa/Getty Pictures
Alcaraz added, “To be trustworthy, it's not that unhealthy.”
Sadly for Alcaraz, not everyone felt the identical approach.
When American tennis star Frances Tiafoe was requested about Alcaraz's buzz lower, he had no downside letting his opinion be recognized.
“Yeah, it's horrible,” Tiafoe, 27, told Tennis Channel on Monday. “It's horrible.”
Tiafoe continued. “I don't know who advised him that it's good. I don't know who advised him to do this, nevertheless it's horrible. From a man who will get haircuts week in, week out, and prides myself on good haircuts, it's horrendous. On the finish of the day, it's Carlos, and that's my man. However yeah, he must get with me. He must get with me for certain.”
Whereas Tiafoe admittedly didn't love the model, he joked that Alcaraz's haircut will make him “extra aerodynamic.”
Tiafoe revealed that Alcaraz's coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, mentioned the thrill lower had already improved Alcaraz's sport.
“[Ferrero] was like, ‘Yeah, he's quicker than he already was,'” Tiafoe mentioned. “I used to be like, ‘Effectively, that's an issue.'”
Tiafoe was additionally victorious on the US Open on Monday, defeating Yoshihito Nishioka in straight units, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. The win arrange an all-American showdown within the second spherical towards Martin Damm Jr. on Wednesday, August 27.
In the meantime, Alcaraz and his new buzz lower will face Italian Matteo Bellucci within the second spherical on Wednesday.
