ATP Tour

Tiafoe on Alcaraz's new look: 'I think the long hair is fire'

One year ago, Frances Tiafoe had no problem putting Carlos Alcaraz’s buzzcut on blast at the US Open.

“It’s horrible. It's terrible,” Tiafoe said, before later adding that it was “definitely terrible”. “He's my guy though. It's funny. I looked at him and I was like, ‘I guess you're aerodynamic’.”

^{Alcaraz at the 2025 US Open. Photo: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.}

Fifty-two weeks later, and the American is much happier with the Spaniard’s choice of cut. Alcaraz’s hair is significantly longer.

“I think the long hair is fire,” Tiafoe said earlier this week. “I like it.”

Alcaraz recently posted on his social media that he gave cornrows a chance, too. But in New York, he is skipping it.

“I asked him if he was going to do it. He said, ‘No, the upkeep is too hard’. But he had a do-rag. I was, like, ‘Come on, champ’,” Tiafoe said. “That was awesome. That was awesome. Yeah, I like him with long hair. He said he's going to keep the long hair.

“I just want y'all to know, Carlos is my guy. He would say the same. I love that dude, for sure.”

The second seed is competing for the first time since Barcelona in April. But Tiafoe, an in-form player fresh off reaching the Cincinnati final, knows that Alcaraz, the defending champion, is plenty capable of a big run in New York.

“If he comes back anywhere near his level,” Tiafoe said. “It’s tough.”