Tue Aug 26 06:30:19 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

Carlos Alcaraz, sporting a new buzz cut, began his U.S. Open campaign with a dominant victory over Reilly Opelka in the first round. Alcaraz secured a straight-sets win (6-4, 7-5, 6-4) after successfully breaking Opelka and gaining the rhythm and focus he needed to win. He also made some comments post-match about his haircut and the challenges of playing Opelka. He will be facing Mattia Bellucci in the second round.

**News Article:**

**Alcaraz Buzzes Through First Round at U.S. Open with New ‘Do’**

NEW YORK – World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz debuted a fresh buzz cut at the U.S. Open, but his tennis was even sharper as he cruised past American Reilly Opelka in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4, to advance to the second round.

The Spaniard’s new, shorter hairstyle drew mixed reactions online, but there was no debating his performance on the court. Alcaraz broke Opelka successfully to lead and clinching the first set with ease.

“I’ve got to ask the people if they like the new haircut or not,” Alcaraz quipped after the match. “Did you like it guys? I think they like it.”

Despite the comfortable scoreline, Alcaraz acknowledged the difficulty of facing Opelka’s powerful serve. “Today was a really difficult one. He really is a great and a really tough player with that serve. I couldn’t get the rhythm I wanted to get in the match but I’m really happy with everything.”

He highlighted his returning game as a key factor in his victory. “The return was one of the best things today. I tried to play my best tennis, tried to be focused on the serve. Overall, I had a really great performance today.”

Looking ahead, Alcaraz emphasized the challenge of playing against a player like Opelka, whose style makes it hard to get into a rhythm. “It’s just difficult when you play someone who doesn’t let you play your game. It was a very difficult first round.”

Alcaraz will face Italian Mattia Bellucci in the second round. Bellucci advanced after his opponent, Shang Juncheng of China, retired due to injury.

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