US Open 2025: Carlos Alcaraz’s buzz cut vs Andre Agassi’s bald era – what is similar, what is not | Tennis News
Carlos Alcaraz walked into the 2025 US Open with a shaved head and won his opener against Reilly Opelka 6–4, 7–5, 6–4. He explained afterward that a home trim went wrong when his brother took off too much, so he shaved it all. He usually flies his barber in for majors, but not this time. Frances Tiafoe joked that the look was terrible, and Alcaraz laughed it off. Rory McIlroy also asked about the new style during a lighthearted courtside chat. On court, the new look did not slow him. Alcaraz served big, returned well, and closed in straight sets. Match reports note he faced break points but saved them all. He joked the buzz might even make him feel quicker.
Why Alcaraz did it
Carlos Alcaraz, of Spain, returns a shot to Reilly Opelka, of the United States, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Alcaraz’s explanation was simple. A bad cut forced a full shave. Spanish and UK reports repeated that his brother handled the clippers and that he briefly considered another style before opting to start fresh.
Agassi shaved his head before the 1995 Australian Open and won the title, a shift that coincided with a deeper competitive reset under coach Brad Gilbert (Mandatory Credit: Clive Brunskill/ALLSPORT)
The Agassi reference: the same conversation, a very different story
Andre Agassi’s bald era was not an overnight gag. It followed years of anxiety about hair loss that he hid with long, dyed hair and a hairpiece he feared might fall off during the 1990 French Open final. Agassi later wrote that he prayed the wig would stay on during the match. He shaved his head before the 1995 Australian Open and won the title, a shift that coincided with a deeper competitive reset under coach Brad Gilbert. He has credited then-girlfriend Brooke Shields with advising the change. The early marketing image that shadowed him, including the Canon Rebel spot built around the line “Image is everything,” makes that turn all the more significant.
Then vs now: four quick contrasts
- Trigger: Alcaraz shaved to fix a botched trim. Agassi shaved to end a long, public hair saga.
- Timing and age: Alcaraz did it at 22 on the eve of a hard-court major. Agassi went bald in time for January 1995 and won Melbourne.
- Immediate results: Alcaraz breezed through round one and will see if the look turns into a lucky charm. Agassi’s first bald Slam ended with the trophy.
- Meaning: Alcaraz’s shave is a viral moment pinned to already elite performance. Agassi’s shave symbolized a break from a persona and the start of a substance-heavy second act.
So, does the comparison hold?
Andre Agassi’s hair prior to him shaving it in 1995 (Mandatory Credit: Clive Brunskill/ALLSPORT)
Only partly. The visual rhyme is obvious. The backstory is not. Alcaraz is correcting a haircut. Agassi was shedding an image that had defined him. If Alcaraz stacks wins, the buzz cut will be mythologized as a fun tournament tag. If he does not, it will remain a week-one story. Either way, the hair did not touch the baseline of his game in round one.
