Carlos Alcaraz causes social media frenzy with daring new hairstyle

Carlos Alcaraz has sparked a social media storm after revealing another bold new hairstyle. Prior to this year's US Open, Alcaraz was compelled to shave off his stunning locks and opt for a buzz cut following a catastrophic hair-cutting blunder.

The fresh look proved fortunate for the Spaniard, who secured his sixth major title and reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking with a thrilling four-set triumph over Jannik Sinner in the showpiece match at Flushing Meadows. After his monumental success, Alcaraz returned to his native El Palmar - a town in Spain's Murcia region - to sort out his hair predicament. He posted on social media showing himself with aluminium foil wrapped around his head and included the caption: "To be continued."

Numerous Alcaraz fans rapidly voiced their views in the comments section, with early responses seeming rather unfavourable.

"WHAT ARE WE DOING," one Instagram user remarked, while another added: "Victor, you'll pay for your crime one day."

A third supporter playfully asked: "What does this barber know about Carlos that he keeps going to him?"

During his post-match press conference following his victory over Reilly Opelka in the first round at Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz revealed that he had been forced to buzz off his hair after a significant mistake by his brother, Alvaro, who was operating the hair clippers.

"I felt like my hair was really long already. And before the tournament I said that I really want to get a haircut," he explained at the time. "Suddenly my brother just misunderstood with the machine. He just cut it and the only way to fix it is just to shave it off. To be honest it's not that good - it's not that bad I guess.

"I'm not really into the hair at all. I'm the guy who thinks, 'Okay, the hair grows and in a few days it's going to be already okay.' It just happened."

In the build-up to last weekend's US Open final, Alcaraz hinted that he'd shortly reveal an even more dramatic appearance than a typical buzz cut. "[Something] even better. Even better," he declared.

"You will see. You will see. Surprise. Surprise."

Alcaraz's series of bold hairstyle changes haven't exactly received an enthusiastic reception from supporters or rival players. Frances Tiafoe labelled the buzz cut "terrible" and "horrendous," which prompted the 22-year-old to hit back at his mate with a witty retort.

"Frances is lying, Frances is lying," he proclaimed. "I know he likes the haircut. He told me."

Alcaraz, to his credit, seems to be taking it all in his stride. "Some people like it. Some people don't like it," he confessed. "I'm just laughing about the reaction of the people. I can't do anything else right now, so I'm just laughing about everything that they are [saying] about my haircut."