Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams delighted the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium as they paired up for the US Open mixed doubles and reached the quarterfinals, only to lose to the team of Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli . Alcaraz played his first competitive match since his return from a long injury layoff and admitted that playing with Williams made him nervous.
One thing that the tennis world also noticed about Alcaraz was his hairstyle. The 23-year-old loves experimenting with his hair and has made headlines for his bold choices. At this tournament last year, Alcaraz's brother, Alvaro Alcaraz, accidentally chopped off his hair because he didn't know how to use the machine.
After the buzzcut, Alcaraz bleached his hair platinum. Last month, he surprised fans by dropping a mirror selfie debuting cornrows before switching back to his natural, overflowing wavy locks, held in place by a hairband.
And now, Williams suggested that Alcaraz should try a mohawk hairstyle. During their interview with Vogue, Alcaraz said he doesn't know what he should do with his hairstyle, and it was then that Williams suggested the mohawk hairstyle, only to draw a hilarious response from the 23-year-old.
Probably, probably my father, you know, [my agent] Albert [Molina], is gonna get a heart attack with that, but I will think about it. I will think about it.
Carlos Alcaraz saidWilliams, who herself has experimented a lot with hairstyles, insisted that he try it out, and that if he doesn't like it, he can simply shave his hair off.
I think you should do it. I mean, and if you don't like it, you can just shave it off.
Serena Williams saidWilliams will next be seen in action at the US Open doubles event. She and sister Venus Williams have received the wild card, and if they play, it will mark their first appearance together in a Major since the 2022 US Open. But they have already played doubles since the 44-year-old's comeback from retirement (in Cincinnati).
Carlos Alcaraz certainly won't be the heavy favorite going into the US Open due to a lack of match practice in singles. And the draw has opened up thanks to Alcaraz's comeback after a long absence and World No.1 Jannik Sinner's withdrawal.
While discussing who would be the favorites to win, former player Patrick McEnroe, on ESPN, said:
The men's side, Alcaraz is still the favorite. He shows up, he's the favorite. He's not as big of a favorite as he would be if he had been playing. If he had been playing most of the year, he'd be a huge, huge favorite. Because of the question mark about how he's going to feel physically, how he's going to play, then you put probably the second favorite.
But McEnroe wants his compatriot Ben Shelton to end the American men's Grand Slam drought. No American ATP player since Andy Roddick's victory at the 2003 US Open has won a Major.
Taylor Fritz came close to the trophy when he reached the final of his home Slam in 2024, but he ended up losing the match to Sinner in straight sets. Shelton recently clinched his career's second Big Title at the Canadian Open, which he also played as the defending champion.
He has so far reached just two Grand Slam semifinals, including once in the New York Major back in 2023. But last year, he crashed out after reaching the third round. The US Open main draw matches start on August 30. Alcaraz will compete as the defending champion.
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