"I'd be so superstitious"- Maria Sharapova and John McEnroe make feelings known on Carlos Alcaraz's new hairstyle at US Open

Carlos Alcaraz unveiled a new hairstyle during his first-round match against Reilly Opelka at the 2025 US Open. Former World No. 1, John McEnroe, had some fun at the expense of the Spaniard's new look during his commentary stint, while Maria Sharapova was amazed at the World No. 2's new look.

Carlos Alcaraz entered the Arthur Ashe Stadium on August 26 with a brand new buzzcut. The Spaniard had shaved all his hair, giving him a different look along with his sleeveless purple kit from Nike. The new look was absolutely out of the blue, to the amazement of all the onlookers.

Even the commentators were surprised at Alcaraz's bold look, including John McEnroe. The former American player joked about whether this was the Spaniard's personal barber's doing, who accompanied the World No. 2 during Wimbledon. Taking a small dig, McEnroe stated that this haircut did not require any specialised skills, but was available anywhere in New York for a small price of 20 dollars.

The Tennis Letter

@TheTennisLetter

First of all his haircut.. did he get the buzz cut from his hair stylist in Spain? He brought him in at Wimbledon. I’m wondering because you can get that for 20 bucks in the city”

McEnroe was not alone in expressing his surprise at Alcaraz's new hairstyle. Maria Sharapova, who was also in the commentary box, expressed her surprise, stating that she was too superstitious to do the same and that this style showed Alcaraz's confidence before the start of a big tournament.

The Tennis Letter

@TheTennisLetter

“I haven’t gotten to the tennis. I’m still stuck at the buzz cut. 😂 It’s so low maintenance. And he just did it. That’s a good effort. I’d be so superstitious. But that’s what you have to love about him is just his ability to be so free and so confident and have this particular aura about him that transcends the game.”

On the court, Carlos Alcaraz was at his usual best, as he won the first set 6-4, and looked confident under the night-session lights of New York. The Spaniard had won the title in New York back in 2022, but his recent hard-court Slam results have not been up to his usual high standards. He entered this year's competition in some good form, having won the title in Cincinnati.

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Carlos Alcaraz is in contention for the No.1 ranking at the US Open

Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 US Open (Getty)

Having made a shock second-round exit at New York last year, Carlos Alcaraz has only a mere haul of 50 points to defend at the US Open this year. On the other hand, his rival and top-ranked player, Jannik Sinner, has the full complement of 2000 points to defend this time.

Given how the live rankings stand, Carlos Alcaraz is currently ahead of his Italian rival, and a better result compared to Sinner at the US Open will take him back to the top of the rankings. The current head-to-head stands at 9-5 in favor of Alcaraz, with the Spaniard winning three of the four matches against Sinner this year, winning six of his last seven matches against the Italian, with the one loss coming at the Wimbledon final this year.

Alcaraz has had four separate stints as the World No.1, totalling 36 weeks as the World's top-ranked player. He was the youngest to achieve the ranking in the history of the men's game, and was the youngest to achieve the year-ending No.1 ranking back in 2022.