CARLOS ALCARAZ admits his shock new buzz haircut was a result of his brother’s clippers cock-up.
The Spanish tennis ace was buzzing after his 6-4 7-5 6-4 first-round win over American giant Reilly Opelka on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The 22-year-old, who has never lost the opening match of a Slam, hopes there are no close shaves when he meets Italian Mattia Bellucci in the second round.
Before the tie, Alcaraz had all his thick black locks cut off, a brave new look that was slammed by pal Frances Tiafoe who called it “horrible”.
Golfer Rory McIlroy, who is spending a second day in a row at Flushing Meadows, is a big fan of the skinhead appearance.
Alcaraz, vying to replace Jannik Sinner this fortnight as the world No.1, revealed that it came about by accident in the absence of regular Spain-based barber Victor Martínez.
He said: “I felt like my hair was really long already, and before the tournament I just really wanted to get a haircut.
“Suddenly just my brother…he misunderstood with the machine. He just cut it.
“Then, you know, the only way to fix it is to shave it off. It’s just what he did, this haircut.
“To be honest, it’s not that bad. I needed a fresh look. New York is too far away for Victor.
“I’m not really into hair at all. Hair grows and in a few days it’s going to be okay, I guess.
“Some people like it. Some people don’t like it. To be honest, I’m just laughing about the reaction of the people.
“It is what it is. So I can’t do anything else right now. I’m just laughing about everything that they are talking about my haircut.
“When I saw myself on the screen with the haircut, I mean it was super white. So it’s like weird for me to see myself that white in the hair.
“Frances is lying. He showed up here saying that it’s terrible. I know he likes the haircut. He likes it. He told me.”
Alcaraz, the French Open champion, celebrated the win against Opelka, which finished minutes before midnight, with a golf swing, albeit using his tennis racquet.
On his brief chat with reigning Masters champion McIlroy on the practice courts, Alcaraz said: “It was the first time that I met him. It was such an honor.
“I just admire him a lot. I’m just a huge fan of golf.
“The last day of the Masters I just won Monte Carlo, and in my celebration I was with the phone cheering on him, supporting him.
“It was an unbelievable experience meeting him and to have a chance to talk a little bit with him.
“As a person, he seems like a really good guy. As an athlete, he has shown what he is capable of doing, his swing, his golf. I just admire him a lot.”
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