Overview

• He won 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 on Arthur Ashe to set up a second-round meeting with Italy’s Mattia Bellucci.
• The world No. 2 finished with 17 unforced errors, won 50 of 58 first‑serve points, saved all three break points and broke Opelka three times, improving to 19-0 in Grand Slam openers.
• Before the match he chatted with Rory McIlroy, who rubbed his newly shaved head, and afterward he polled the crowd on the look to loud approval.
• Alcaraz said the cut was a reset after a haircut he “struggled with,” and later told reporters his brother botched a trim, forcing the shave.
• Frances Tiafoe called the style “horrible” in jest and John McEnroe joked on air that such a buzz cut costs “20 bucks,” highlighting the off‑court chatter around the win.