Overview

• Alcaraz advanced in straight sets 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium in a match that lasted about two hours and five minutes.
• He neutralized Opelka’s serve by prioritizing returns and held serve flawlessly in the first set, as Opelka piled up errors and double faults.
• After the match, Alcaraz explained he asked his brother for a small trim that went wrong, leaving shaving his head as the only fix.
• Frances Tiafoe joked the haircut was “horrible,” while Rory McIlroy playfully rubbed Alcaraz’s head when they met at the venue.
• The 2022 US Open champion will face Italy’s Mattia Bellucci in the second round in their first career meeting.