Carlos Alcaraz Knows How to Pull Off a Top Knot

The Spanish tennis superstar added a new hairstyle to his ever-growing list of stylish looks.Luke Walker/Getty ImagesEvery time Carlos Alcaraz enters a new tennis tournament, two questions usually arise: How well will he do and what kind of hairstyle will he have? The 23-year-old tennis superstar has a long history of experimenting with his hair, and as he enters the ninth annual Laver Cup, his locks are once again turning heads.During a practice session with controversial 2026 US Open men’s champion Alexander Zverev, Alcaraz received a bit of hair instruction from his typically ponytailed Team Europe colleague. On the sidelines pre-volley, Zverev pulled Alcaraz’s neck-grazing locks up and tied a top knot at the center of his head. If you’ve ever seen anything from the Despicable Me franchise, you’ll know it’s reminiscent of the hairstyle of six-year-old Agnes Gru. What started as a joke ended up being a staple of the session. Alcaraz kept the top knot while he hit a few balls, his bangs staying off his forehead.The ponytailed Alexander Zverev offered up a hair tie for the long-haired Alcaraz. Julian Finney/Getty ImagesDuring the summer Grand Slam tournament, the Spaniard kept his long wavy tresses in check by wearing a Nike headband as he made his way to the quarter finals. It was the best he ever looked, with his bleach blond buzz cut from 2025 coming in a close second.. The top knot is more of a utilitarian choice to manage his long hair, though it’s certainly not the worst style he’s worn. (That would be his inadvisable cornrows.)Who knows what hairstyle is next in his hairdo chronicle? Our money is on pigtails.Tyler Chin is GQ's associate wellness & grooming editor. He'll occasionally dabble in the menswear space, but otherwise you'll usually catch him trying out new headphones, lifting in fresh workout gear, or testing out the latest and greatest in skin care. Before he ended up at GQ, he worked at ... Read More