Carlos Alcaraz Discusses Reason For New Haircut That Has Divided Tennis Fans
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Carlos Alcaraz's haircut for the new season received a mixed reception from tennis fans. The ATP world No. 3 recently revealed his inspiration for the new look.
Alcaraz is preparing for the Australian Open. Like last season, he decided not to play in any of the warmup events this week or last week. Most players think it is best to play professional matches before the season's opening Grand Slam.
Novak Djokovic competes in fewer tournaments than a few years ago because of his age. However, the Serbian decided to feature at last week's Brisbane International, losing in the quarterfinal to Reilly Opelka.
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam Alcaraz has yet to win. There will undoubtedly be questions about whether not playing any warmup tournaments was the right decision if he does not triumph in Melbourne.
What makes Alcaraz's move not to play any pre-Australian Open tournaments particularly surprising is that he found time for two exhibitions against Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe last December. They were played at Madison Square Garden and in Charlotte.
Former doubles legend Mark Woodforde thinks Alcaraz participating in those exhibitions at a time when he could have been resting is a red flag. Woodforde might feel even more strongly about the issue after the 21-year-old chose not to play in any warmup tournaments.
After not competing during the opening week of the season, Alcaraz played against two of his ATP rivals during the Australian Open fan week. One of those was a 5-7 defeat to Novak Djokovic after a high-quality practice.
That set between Djokovic and Alcaraz was particularly notable because the Serbian's new coach, Andy Murray, was watching. Reporting indicates that Djokovic and Murray communicated constantly throughout the practice.
Alcaraz also lost an exhibition match against Alex de Minaur during fan week at the season's opening Grand Slam. The contest was played in good spirits throughout and allowed the Spaniard to show off his new haircut to a significant audience.
The four-time Grand Slam champion's haircut created attention for being much shorter than previously. Comparisons have been made to his style during the 2022 US Open, but even that was longer than his current look.
Former French Open semifinalist Andrea Petkovic asked him about the new haircut during an on-court interview after the match. Alcaraz explained how his hair grows very quickly, meaning he wanted it short to avoid getting it cut again a few weeks later.
"I discussed with my barber that when I get a haircut… three days later it’s grown out. So I have to go more often. It’s a New year. I knew I was gonna be here in Australia. 40 Degrees. It’s summer here. I thought I needed something new. I already did this haircut a few years ago and I just like it. Probably this year is gonna be a new Carlitos in style."
Although some light-hearted comments about his haircut are amusing, Alcaraz will hope the questions and focus throughout the Australian Open can be on the quality of his performances.
