"Stupidest haircut to appear on Center Court";"Best haircut at Wimbledon" - Fans captivated by Carlos Alcaraz's 1R opponent Mark Lajal's unique hairdo

Estonian player Mark Lajal caught the attention of fans because of his unique hairdo while playing in the 2024 Wimbledon first-round match against Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard won the match in three sets but Lajal made him work hard for the win.

World No. 269, Lajal, put up a strong showing in the qualifiers to set up a first-round clash against Alcaraz. The Estonian got the better of Italy’s Francesco Passaro, Portugal’s Henrique Rocha, and Australia’s James Duckworth to make his first Grand Slam main draw appearance.

He put up a great fight but succumbed to the defending champion's superiority 6-7(3), 5-7, 2-6. His hairstyle, however, stole the show. Fans were hooked onto the unique hairdo sported by the Estonian.

"Congrats Mark Lajal. You have the distinction of the stupidest haircut to ever appear on Centre Court. What is going on here? Are those locs? I mean," one fan wrote.

"If there is a winners medal for the best haircut at Wimbledon, it has to go to Mark Lajal," another fan wrote.

"Mark Lajal is playing so good or Carlitos got distracted because of Lajal’s hair? Alcaraz has to sweat to get a point lmao," a third fan wrote.

Here are some more reactions to Lajal's hairstyle:

"Mark Lajal is going to gain a lot of fans today - between the hair and holding his own in the first set against Alcaraz he's really fun to watch. #Wimbledon," one fan wrote.

"Mark Lajal already has the hair of the tourney at #wimbledon," another fan wrote.

"Loving Mark Lajal’s hair on Centre Court," a third fan wrote.

---

Mark Lajal's unique hairdo has been with him since he was six years old

Lajal at The Championships - Wimbledon 2024.

Mark Lajal belongs to a family of racers. His grandfather was a rally driver and his father was a motocross rider. Early in his life, Lajal also raced in Estonia but things changed when his father was away and his mother made him learn tennis.

Before his big break, a Wimbledon first-round clash against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, Lajal knew his hairstyle had the capacity to surprise. He opened up about the story behind his unique hairdo in an interview with ATPTour.com.

“When I was six, my half sister, she did dreads and I was so fascinated. I was like, ‘Mom, I want it, I want it, I need it’. My mom was like it's just hair, just do it for the summer. So I did it and I loved it and I stayed with it,” Lajal said.

“So it's been with me for a long, long, long time. It has changed, shorter, longer," he added.

After getting the better of Lajal, Alcaraz will take on the winner of the match between Aleksandar Vukic and Sebastian Ofner in the second round.