Carlos Alcaraz made a triumphant return to the court at the 2026 US Open, but it wasn't just his tennis that had everyone talking. The Spanish sensation's wardrobe choice for his first-round match against Roman Safiullin sparked a fashion firestorm, with former tennis star Genie Bouchard weighing in with a playful jab.
Alcaraz, who hadn't played an official match since April due to injury, looked sharp in his 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory on Monday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. But it was his outfit—a brown tank top and matching shorts from Nike's new 'Cactus Court' collaboration with Travis Scott—that stole the spotlight.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion's tank top, which featured a loose fit and bold design, apparently didn't sit well with Bouchard. Taking to X, the Canadian tennis personality wrote, "Love you Carlos but we've got to put the nip away," in a post that quickly went viral.
Bouchard's comment adds to a growing trend of tennis fashion moments at the US Open, where players and fans alike have been making statements with their attire. The tournament has already seen its share of controversial fan outfits, and now Alcaraz's on-court look is under scrutiny.
Despite the fashion critique, Alcaraz remained focused on his game. "I think the level of tennis is going to be better for sure [as the tournament goes on] but I'm really happy with the level I played," he said during his on-court interview. "My first official match for four months, I played really good tennis, really glad about it, but I need more matches. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get better and better every day."
Alcaraz also acknowledged areas for improvement, particularly his serve. "Probably the serve is the shot that I was struggling [with] the most," he admitted. "Depends on the player I'm going to play against. There are some players, they like to return when the serve is coming over 130 [mph]. When you serve a little bit slower than he wants to return, they struggle a little bit. So most of that speed is because of him. It was kind of tactics. But I'm going to try to serve better."
Next up for Alcaraz is a clash with the hard-hitting Jaime Faria. With his wrist reportedly healthy, the former world No. 1 remains the odds-on favorite to lift the US Open trophy. Whether his next outfit will be more modest remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Alcaraz knows how to keep the tennis world buzzing, both on and off the court.
For more on Alcaraz's return and his road to the US Open, stay tuned to Sports Central News.
