Overview

• The world No. 2 beat Reilly Opelka 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium in just over two hours, winning 86% of points on his first serve.
• Next up for Carlos Alcaraz is Italy’s Mattia Bellucci in the second round.
• Alcaraz explained the shaved haircut as a clippers mistake by his brother Álvaro, saying the only fix was to shave it completely.
• The new look went viral, drawing mixed reactions on social media, with Frances Tiafoe joking it was “terrible” while calling Alcaraz a friend.
• Asked about the ATP rankings race, Alcaraz said he is concentrating on playing his best tennis rather than trying to unsettle Sinner.