The 138th edition of Wimbledon was a pretty big disappointment for Carlos Alcaraz. Despite winning the first set against Jannik Sinner, the Spaniard went on to lose the match with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, letting Sinner become the first Italian to win the Wimbledon singles title. But now, as the #2 seed gets ready for his first round battle against Reilly Opekla at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, Alcaraz shows one thing that lets the fanbase know how serious he is about winning the US Open. This move even exacted a reaction from Frances Tiafoe!

Hours before Alcaraz’s first-round match, US Open Tennis shared a visual that shocked the entire world, especially Tiafoe. The caption of the X post read, “Tiafoe comes off court and gets his first look at the new cut for Carlos 👀.” Yes, it was all about Alcaraz’s haircut. He trimmed his hair really short. His hair was almost similar to Tiafoe’s. 

The visual showcased how Tiafoe couldn’t take his eyes off of Alcaraz’s new look. While their interaction was inaudible, the emotions that went through Tiafoe were crystal clear. But Tiafoe couldn’t keep mum at the press conference. 

The Tennis Letter shared an instance of Tiafoe talking about the haircut during the pre-game press conference. He got brutally honest and said, “I mean, it’s definitely terrible. It’s funny. I looked at him and I was like, ‘I guess you’re aerodynamic now.'” But Alcaraz was kind of fascinated by his haircut, and Tiafoe found that as a problem.

He continued, “I don’t know who told him to do that, but it’s terrible. From me, from a guy who gets haircuts week in and week out, and you know, prize myself on good haircuts, it’s horrendous. But I mean, at the end of the day, it’s Carlos and that’s my guy.”

Eurosport France shared another visual highlighting Carlos Alcaraz’s new look. And the reporter there asked the one question that the entire fanbase has been asking ever since the Spanish star’s new hairstyle went viral on the internet. What exactly happened to his hair? And Alcaraz’s reply? A simple “I don’t know what happened.” But he had to come clean during an interaction with Rory McIlroy.

The truth behind Carlos Alcaraz’s new hairstyle

The famed tennis journalist, Jose Morgado, shared yet another video on X, showcasing the interaction between McIlroy and Alcaraz. Therein, the Northern Irish professional golfer touched Alcaraz’s head, asking if everything was good, and of course, the reason for the new style. So, what’s the reason that made Carlos Alcaraz take such a drastic measure? 

The Spanish tennis player replied, “Just got a haircut that I struggled with. I mean, I had to start fresh.” McIlroy happened to appreciate the honesty. He reciprocated Alcaraz’s feelings and said, “Yeah, it’s good. I like it… It does look good.” This extracted a new sense of respect for the golfer from Alcaraz’s heart. The duo clasped their hands in a shake and Alcaraz claimed, “It’s a big fan, here.” 

But what do you think? What made Alcaraz take such drastic steps? Let us know what you think in the comments below. And to stay updated with the action on Flushing Meadows, follow EssentiallySports’ live blog of US Open.