It has been only four days since Carlos Alcaraz debuted his bold new look, but apparently, it wasn’t one to stay. After briefly breaking the internet with a hairdo of cornrow braids, the 23-year-old Spaniard has already taken them out, as revealed in a training video that is now circulating on X. The style change comes as Alcaraz gears up for a highly anticipated comeback at the Cincinnati Masters next week.
Carlos Alcaraz Drops the Braids in Viral Training Video Before Cincinnati Return
For months during his recovery, fans noticed Alcaraz growing out his typically short hair into a much longer style. The long-hair look was seen while he attended the FIFA World Cup final in mid-July. Then, in late July, he surprised the tennis world by dropping photos of cornrow braids. While some fans praised the bold look, drawing playful comparisons to fellow tennis star Arthur Fils and Spanish soccer player Marc Cucurella, others reacted with criticism.
However, the ‘braid era’ appears to have been just a brief summer fling. Just hours ago, a new training video making the rounds on social media shows the seven-time Grand Slam champion on the practice court, hitting forehands with his hair unbraided and returning to his natural style.
carlos took the braids off 😭 pic.twitter.com/5a1cYR9Z7B
— f #7inMelbourne (@fvaeey) August 4, 2026
This is not the first time the 23-year-old has experimented with his hairstyle. Last year, before the US Open, he showed up in a buzz cut after his brother, Álvaro, made a mistake with the clippers. He also dyed it platinum blonde after his US Open victory.
Alcaraz has been sidelined for over three months due to a lingering right wrist injury, diagnosed as wrist tenosynovitis, sustained during his second-round match at the Barcelona Open in April. This forced him to miss crucial stretches of the ATP Tour, including the French Open and Wimbledon, as well as three Masters 1000 events. It also made him drop to World No. 3 behind Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev.
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However, Alcaraz, being very cautious, didn’t rush his comeback and kept fans updated on his recovery. In the recent videos, he was seen hitting at full intensity on indoor and outdoor hard courts, swinging his right arm freely.
All eyes are on his official return to competition at the Cincinnati Masters 1000, scheduled to begin in mid-August, where he is the defending champion. It will be a critical tune-up for the US Open, which will begin in New York by the end of this month.
