Carlos Alcaraz unveiled a severe crew cut, then produced a sharp display to defeat Reilly Opelka 6–4, 7–5, 6–4 in the US Open first round on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The 22-year-old Spaniard took control early against the 6ft 11in American, breaking in the fifth game and serving out the opening set to love. Opelka’s serve kept the second set on edge and Alcaraz had to fend off two break points at 3–3, but the former champion struck in the 11th game and closed to move two sets clear.
The third set followed serve until 4–4, when Alcaraz again found the decisive break. A long return from Opelka handed the Spaniard three match points and he converted the first with a forehand down the line to seal a straight-sets win.
“It was a really difficult one,” Alcaraz said. “Reilly is a great, tough player. I could not get the rhythm I wanted at times, but I am really happy with what I did today.”
Much of the talk before the night session centred on Alcaraz’s new look. He revealed the haircut was the result of a trimming mishap. “My brother misunderstood the machine and just cut it. The only way to fix it was to shave it off,” he joked. “Some people like it, some people do not. I am just laughing at the reactions.” Close friend Frances Tiafoe had labelled the cut “terrible”, but it did nothing to blunt Alcaraz’s focus.
The victory sends Alcaraz into the second round with minimal time spent on court and plenty of confidence after navigating one of the sport’s biggest serves with authority.
