." I merely gained and also I prefer whacks," Croatian ping pong star Donna Vekiu0107 declares Friday mid-day of the US Open. She's merely trumped Peyton Stearns-- and after stretching and bathing-- her next stop pre-press conference is the petit Julien Farel pop-up salon hidden inside Queens's Arthur Ashe Stadium. "I had actually been actually waiting all period to observe Julian as well as get bangs motivated through Margot Robbie." Much more than two decades back, hair stylist Julien Farel moved toward the USA Ping Pong Affiliation with a suggestion: a beauty shop where ping pong players can stop by for a hairstyle, type, or one more kind of self-care during the course of the US Open, one of one of the most high-intensity competitors of their year. "It took them five years to say yes to me," Farel, right now 16 years in to the hair salon partnership at the Open, informs me with a smile. "I was actually quite consistent considering that I knew this would be a perk for several professional athletes. And I was right. Today, they await this moment ahead in as well as acquire a hairstyle." A number of the sporting activity's most significant labels have actually rested inside this salon, which is only available during the course of the two full weeks of the competitors: "I reduced Rafael Nadal's hair coming from lengthy to quick in 2010, that happened on this site and also it was actually a big package. Everyone coming from Billie Jean Master to [Martina] Navratilova has sat in these chairs. Our team possessed Coco here straight after she won in 2013's competition, too." Vekiu0107 and also her new bangs, fresh reduced by Julien Farel.Captured through Caroline Tompkins.