." I just gained and I prefer whacks," Croatian ping pong celebrity Donna Vekiu0107 announces Friday mid-day of the United States Open. She is actually just beaten Peyton Stearns-- as well as after extending and also showering-- her next cease pre-press event is actually the petit Julien Farel pop-up beauty salon hidden inside Queens's Arthur Ashe Arena. "I had been actually standing by all time to view Julian and also acquire bangs motivated by Margot Robbie." Much more than two decades back, hair stylist Julien Farel approached the United States Tennis Organization with a tip: a beauty parlor where ping pong players could possibly stop by for a hairstyle, design, or even another type of self-care throughout the United States Open, one of one of the most high-intensity competitions of their year. "It took them 5 years to say yes to me," Farel, now 16 years in to the salon collaboration at the Open, tells me along with a smile. "I was incredibly consistent since I recognized this would be a perk for a lot of professional athletes. And also I corrected. Right now, they wait for this instant ahead in as well as receive a hairstyle." Much of the sporting activity's most significant names have actually rested inside this beauty parlor, which is just available during the course of both full weeks of the competitors: "I cut Rafael Nadal's hair from long to quick in 2010, that happened on this site as well as it was actually a major deal. Everyone from Billie Jean King to [Martina] Navratilova has sat in these office chairs. Our team had Coco below right after she gained last year's event, also." Vekiu0107 and also her new booms, freshly reduced by Julien Farel.Captured through Caroline Tompkins.