Carlos Alcaraz shocked fans on Tuesday when he showcased a whole new hairdo, just weeks after he unexpectedly shaved his head the night before his first US Open match against Reilly Opelka. The Spaniard took to Instagram to poke fun at his buzzcut, which he explained was the result of a disaster caused by his brother, Alvaro, when wielding the clippers on him. "My brother misunderstood with the machine – he cut it," he said to reporters. "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," he added. In his Instagram post, Carlos joked about his hair transformation, sharing an edited photo of himself on the tennis court with multiple different hairdos, each one wilder than the last. He also showcased his latest shocking change, which saw him wearing a long blonde wig, making fans laugh with his self-deprecating humor.
The star then shared a snap of the disastrous moment that Alvaro went off course with the clippers, as Carlos grinned from his seat in a luxe marble bathroom. The photo that really had fans talking, though, was the final one in the carousel, which saw him seated outside in the sunshine with a foil cap on, hinting that he was bleaching his hair.
After winning the US Open against Jannik Sinner on Monday, the 22-year-old suggested that an even bolder hair transformation was to come when asked what he would do to celebrate his big victory. "[Something] even better. Even better. You will see. You will see. Surprise. Surprise," he said coyly to reporters.
Fans took to the comment section of his post to share their excitement over Carlos' potential new look, with one writing, "Blondcaraz coming soon?" while another added, "Hair reveal when?" A third fan chimed in, "The blonde wig…the hair foils…what is coming next Carlitos?!?" while another commented, "BABE WAKE UP NEW CARLOS HAIRCUT JUST DROPPED." The tennis champion has made a star out of his regular barber, Víctor Martínez, who operates in Carlos' hometown of El Palmar in Southern Spain.
© InstagramWhile some online commenters are not always fans of Carlos' hairdos, Víctor shared with CNN Sports that the criticism has only led to more publicity for him. "Carlos and I laugh about the bad comments. Carlos keeps coming to me to cut his hair because it's good, because he likes it," he explained. "When we're together, we look at the comments and we laugh."
© Instagram"At the end of the day, the bad comments are also good because they create publicity," he continued. "It's incredible because people in another part of the world are talking about you and your work. So it makes you happy, it makes you feel good because people know you in many different parts of the world, thanks to Carlos."
© InstagramSince cutting Carlos' hair, Víctor's life has undoubtedly changed for the better. "It's always gone well, but after Carlos, it's been a lot more," he said. "I never leave here! People come to the shop asking for 'the Carlos haircut.' Lots of kids, his fans." As for how Carlos conducts himself off the tennis court, Víctor explained that he's as down-to-earth as can be.
© Getty Images"When he arrives at the shop, he's just another guy," the barber said. "It's true that I have to give him a bit of privilege. We often work with the doors closed. We try to choose times where no one is going to come to the shop. Often, I go to his house to cut his hair in the comfort of his home. We always try to be just us two in the shop, but there have been many times where it's coincided with another client, so he chats with the other customers in the shop."
