." I just gained as well as I prefer whacks," Croatian ping pong celebrity Donna Vekiu0107 declares Friday mid-day of the United States Open. She's just defeated Peyton Stearns-- and after flexing as well as bathing-- her upcoming quit pre-press association is actually the petit Julien Farel pop-up beauty salon hidden inside Queens's Arthur Ashe Arena. "I had been standing by all period to find Julian as well as obtain bangs inspired by Margot Robbie." More than 20 years earlier, hairstylist Julien Farel moved toward the USA Ping Pong Association along with a concept: a beauty shop where tennis gamers could possibly pop in for a haircut, type, or yet another kind of self-care throughout the US Open, one of the best high-intensity competitions of their year. "It took all of them five years to okay me," Farel, currently 16 years in to the salon partnership at the Open, informs me with a smile. "I was actually really relentless due to the fact that I recognized this would be a perk for numerous professional athletes. As well as I was right. Right now, they wait on this second to find in as well as obtain a hairstyle." Many of the sport's most significant labels have actually rested inside this hair salon, which is actually only open in the course of the 2 full weeks of the competitors: "I cut Rafael Nadal's hair from lengthy to short in 2010, that happened right here as well as it was a huge package. Everyone from Billie Jean Master to [Martina] Navratilova has partaken these seats. We possessed Coco here straight after she succeeded in 2015's competition, too." Vekiu0107 and also her brand-new bangs, fresh reduced through Julien Farel.Photographed by Caroline Tompkins.