Back at number 1 and a new look: Carlos Alcaraz rocks platinum haircut to celebrate US Open

Following his sixth Grand Slam title at the US Open, champion Carlos Alcaraz has a new look, entering his “platinum era.” After reclaiming the world No. 1 ranking by defeating his rival Jannik Sinner in the final, Alcaraz celebrated with a new haircut.

A few weeks earlier, Alcaraz had attracted attention for the haircut he got to kick off the US Open. After a mixed doubles match with Emma Raducanu—where they fell to Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula—the Spanish star decided on a bold new look for his first-round singles match against Reilly Opelka.

"My brother misunderstood with the machine he cut it," Alcaraz told reporters after beating Opelka. "And the only way to fix it is to shave it off. To be honest, it’s not that good. It's not that bad, I guess."

The shaved head turned out to be a good luck charm for the Spanish star, who had a perfect run at Flushing Meadows. He extended his winning streak to 13 consecutive victories and 37 of his last 38 matches. Alcaraz got revenge for the Wimbledon final—where he had lost the crown to Sinner—and won another major title, reclaiming the top ranking after Sinner's 64 weeks of uninterrupted dominance.

In a social media post, Carlos Alcaraz's usual barber revealed photos of the 22-year-old's recent visit to his barbershop in Murcia, Alcaraz's hometown. The visit took place as soon as Alcaraz returned to Spain. "The man keeps his word. Back at number 1 and a new look @carlitosalcarazz we are crazy," posted 'Victor Barber,' along with several photos of Alcaraz with a platinum-blonde look after finishing his New York campaign.

The Spanish star announced that he would take a week off to rest after his great US Open campaign and will skip the Davis Cup this weekend. Carlitos was scheduled to join Spain’s national team, which will face Denmark in Marbella, but he ultimately chose to skip the tournament. He prioritized rest after 13 matches in the last month, a stretch where he won two other titles at the Cincinnati Open and the US Open.

The Spanish team also lamented the loss of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Captain David Ferrer called up three players to replace them: Jaume Munar, Roberto Carballés Baena, and Pablo Carreño Busta. The absences could be significant, considering that Denmark will be led by Holger Rune, who will undoubtedly be the favorite in his singles matches.

Carlos Alcaraz is set to return to the U.S. to play in the Laver Cup in San Francisco, where he is slated to lead Team Europe as the reigning world No. 1. He will join players like Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, and Holger Rune to defend the crown Team Europe won in 2024.

Following his participation in the team tournament, Alcaraz's challenges will continue in the Asian swing, where he will compete in the ATP 500 Tokyo Open and then the Shanghai Masters. The latter tournament, which will be held in the last week of September, could be a rematch against Jannik Sinner.