Why Did Carlos Alcaraz Cut His Hair? The Real Story Behind His US Open Buzz Cut
"I don't know who told him to do that, but it's terrible. It's horrendous."
Published Aug. 26 2025, 12:25 p.m. ET
Carlos Alcaraz showed up to the 2025 U.S. Open with a new look that nobody saw coming. Instead of his familiar thick hair, he took to the court with a completely shaved head. Cameras zoomed in. Photos spread like wildfire. And before a single point was played, his haircut was the talk of the tournament.
At first glance, it looked like a bold reinvention of his signature look. But as Carlos explained afterward, the real story was much funnier, and a little too relatable. So what's the real story behind Carlos's U.S. Open haircut? You might be surprised.
Why did Carlos Alcaraz cut his hair?
Carlos explained that his regular barber couldn’t make it from Spain, so he asked his brother for a pre-tournament trim. It did not go as planned. Reuters reported, “Suddenly just my brother just -- he misunderstood with the machine. He just cut it. Then, the only way to fix it was just to shave it off. To be honest, it's not that bad, I guess.”
Rather than sulk, Carlos shrugged and laughed. "Some people like it, some people don't like it," he said. "To be honest, I'm just laughing about the reaction of the people. It is what it is. I can't do anything else right now, so I'm just laughing about everything they are saying about my haircut."
According to ESPN, American tennis star Frances Tiafoe commented, "I don't know who told him to do that, but it's terrible. From a guy who gets haircuts week in, week out, who prides himself on good haircuts, it's horrendous," Tiafoe added. "But at the end of the day, it's Carlos, and that's my guy. But yeah, he needs to get with me. He needs to get with me for sure."
Golfer Rory McIlroy also couldn’t resist. In a video posted on the US Open Instagram account, Rory spotted Carlos during practice and rubbed the buzzed head and asked, “Why this?” Carlos replied that he wanted to “start fresh.” McIlroy approved, saying, “It’s good. It’s a good look.”
How did Carlos Alcaraz's mishap become a viral moment?
What could have been embarrassing ended up being one of the funniest stories of the tennis tournament. Photos of Carlos with his shaved head flooded social media, and reporters were as eager to ask about the haircut as they were to ask about his performance on court. Instead of hiding from the chatter, he embraced it.
This botched haircut shows why Carlos connects so deeply with fans. Instead of stressing over something out of his control, he turned it into fuel. His easygoing attitude was a reminder that confidence is not about having the perfect look. It is about showing up, embracing imperfections, and proving that what really matters is how you perform when the spotlight is on.
In the end, Carlos didn’t plan a style revolution. He just trusted his brother with clippers, and the clippers won. Still, only Carlos could walk into one of tennis’s biggest stages with a shaved head and somehow make it feel iconic. If he keeps winning, the buzz cut might even earn a place in tennis history.