." I merely gained as well as I want whacks," Croatian ping pong superstar Donna Vekiu0107 proclaims Friday afternoon of the United States Open. She's just beaten Peyton Stearns-- as well as after flexing as well as showering-- her next quit pre-press association is the petit Julien Farel pop-up beauty shop concealed inside Queens's Arthur Ashe Stadium. "I had been standing by all period to observe Julian and also obtain bangs encouraged by Margot Robbie." More than 20 years back, hairdresser Julien Farel approached the USA Ping Pong Association with a tip: a hair salon where ping pong gamers could stop by for a hairstyle, style, or even yet another kind of self-care throughout the US Open, among one of the most high-intensity competitions of their year. "It took them five years to say yes to me," Farel, currently 16 years into the salon alliance at the Open, informs me along with a smile. "I was actually incredibly relentless due to the fact that I recognized this will be a perk for several professional athletes. And also I was right. Right now, they wait for this minute ahead in and obtain a haircut." Most of the sporting activity's most significant labels have actually sat inside this beauty shop, which is actually merely available throughout both weeks of the competitors: "I cut Rafael Nadal's hair from long to brief in 2010, that happened right here and also it was actually a big offer. Everyone from Billie Jean Master to [Martina] Navratilova has partaken these office chairs. We possessed Coco below straight after she succeeded in 2014's tournament, also." Vekiu0107 as well as her new bangs, fresh reduced through Julien Farel.Photographed through Caroline Tompkins.