$40M worth Spanish professional tennis player channels ‘his inner Rory McIlroy’

In between his break from golf, Rory McIlroy was spotted at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for the first round of the US Open 2025. McIlroy was watching Carlos Alcaraz vs. Reilly Opelka, and before the first round, he had a small meet with Alcaraz, who had recently gotten a new buzz cut hairstyle, about which he even had a chat with the golfer.

The $40 million-worth Spanish golfer (according to Celebrity Net Worth) won his first round of the 2025 US Open and performed an interesting new celebration. US Open's official Instagram account posted a reel about Alcaraz's celebration, claiming that he 'channeled his inner Rory McIlroy' while executing an impressive golf swing with his tennis racket.

The tennis player reposted the reel on his IG story and tagged McIlroy in it. He also wrote a caption saluting the golfer. Rory McIlroy then shared Alcaraz's story on his account and responded with his own salute emoji. In terms of the Instagram story, here's what it looks like:

Still taken from Rory McIlroy's Instagram story (Image Credit: Instagram @rorymcilroy)

Interestingly, the two of them discussed the buzz cut before the round began. McIlroy questioned the Spanish star about why he had suddenly changed his hairstyle. The golfer said,

"Why this?"

Carlos Alcaraz responded to this by explaining how he was looking to start fresh. He stated,

"Just got a haircut that I struggled with. I had to start fresh."

The golfer even admitted that he likes this new look and it suits him. He stated,

"Yeah, good. I like it. It's good. It's a good look."

After their meeting, it turned out that Carlos Alcaraz is a massive fan of Northern Ireland golfer, and he even expressed how it was a great moment for him to meet the golfer.

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Carlos Alcaraz describes how he felt after meeting Rory McIlroy

GOLF: AUG 24 PGA FedEx Cup Playoffs - Tour Championship - Source: Getty

Carlos Alcaraz is a five-time Grand Slam winner, and he met Rory McIlroy for the first time before the first round of the 2025 US Open. Alcaraz turned out to be a big fan of the 2025 Masters champion, and meeting him was an incredible experience for the Tennis player. The 22-year-old highlighted his fan boy moment by stating,

"It was the first time that I met him. It was such an honour. On the last day of the Masters, I had just won Monte Carlo, and I was on my phone cheering him. It was an unbelievable experience meeting him and having a chance to talk a little bit with him. It's just amazing to watch his golf."

Rory McIlroy was spotted at the US Open with his caddie, Harry Diamond. Carlos Alcaraz, on the other hand, has advanced to the second round of the US Open, where he hopes to avoid a repeat of last year's second-round elimination against Botic van de Zandschulp.