Just In: Jessica Pegula makes hilarious observation about Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz has given tennis fans plenty to discuss with his latest change of appearance, and Jessica Pegula is among those who have been following the Spaniard’s transformation. The American offered her verdict on the world No. 3’s new look during an episode of The Player’s Box, where she and her fellow tennis players exchanged opinions on his moustache and increasingly distinctive hairstyle.
Alcaraz has experimented with several different looks over the past year, moving from a buzz cut to bleached blond hair, braided cornrows and, more recently, longer locks paired with a thick moustache. His latest appearance became a talking point during the Asian swing, with the facial hair attracting almost as much attention as his performances on court.
Pegula discussed the change alongside Madison Keys, Jennifer Brady and Desirae Krawczyk, her fellow hosts on the podcast. The four players regularly discuss tennis news and life away from competition, and Alcaraz’s appearance provided another opportunity for some light-hearted commentary.
The conversation comes as the Spaniard prepares for the final stretch of the 2026 season. After an early exit at the Shanghai Masters, Alcaraz has added the Vienna Open to his schedule, giving him another opportunity to compete before the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals.
Jessica Pegula admits she is “kind of obsessed” with Alcaraz’s new look
The discussion began with the group questioning how frequently Alcaraz changes his appearance. Pegula joked that the Spaniard seemed to arrive with a new look almost every month, prompting one of her colleagues to suggest that the changes were happening even more frequently.
“I’m kind of obsessed,” Pegula admitted, before turning her attention to the moustache.
The facial hair quickly became the focus of the conversation. Jennifer Brady compared Alcaraz’s appearance to Pablo Escobar, while another comparison referenced Pedro Sánchez, the character played by Efren Ramirez in the 2004 comedy Napoleon Dynamite.
However, Pegula and her colleagues were not entirely convinced by every element of the transformation. Madison Keys suggested that the hairstyle could be improved, saying: “I would like it more with a different hairstyle. I need the hair to be flowing a bit more.”
The conversation then turned to Alcaraz’s hair itself, with the players remarking on its thickness. Pegula’s colleagues were impressed by how much hair the Spaniard had, leading to another memorable observation: “Yeah, he’s never gonna go bald.”
Despite the jokes about his moustache and hairstyle, the overall reaction was far from negative. Pegula appreciated the fact that Alcaraz continued to experiment with his appearance rather than sticking to one familiar look. “Love that he keeps giving us something new, though. I can appreciate it,” she added,
Alcaraz adds Vienna Open to his schedule after Shanghai exit
While his appearance has generated discussion away from the court, Alcaraz is preparing for another important tournament. The Spaniard will compete at the Vienna Open, an ATP 500 indoor hard-court event running from October 26 to November 1, after accepting a wildcard.
The decision followed the postponement of the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia, which had originally been scheduled for October 21-24 and has been moved to December. Alcaraz will therefore return to competitive action in Vienna, where he is scheduled to play his first match on Tuesday, October 27.
The tournament marks his return to Vienna for the first time since 2021, when he reached the semifinals before losing to Alexander Zverev. This time, Alcaraz will be the second seed behind Zverev, with the event providing another opportunity to build momentum ahead of the closing weeks of the season.
Alcaraz has already collected titles at the Australian Open, Doha and Tokyo in 2026. His addition to the Vienna field gives him another chance to strengthen his season before the Paris Masters and ATP Finals, while fans will also be watching to see whether his latest moustache and hairstyle remain part of his look in Austria.
