." I merely gained and also I prefer raps," Croatian ping pong superstar Donna Vekiu0107 declares Friday afternoon of the United States Open. She is actually only trumped Peyton Stearns-- as well as after flexing as well as showering-- her next stop pre-press event is actually 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 as well as get whacks encouraged through Margot Robbie." Much more than 20 years earlier, hair stylist Julien Farel moved toward the USA Ping Pong Organization with a concept: a salon where ping pong players might stop by for a hairstyle, style, or one more type of self-care during the course of the US Open, among the absolute most high-intensity competitions of their year. "It took all of them 5 years to say yes to me," Farel, currently 16 years into the beauty parlor relationship at the Open, informs me with a smile. "I was incredibly consistent because I knew this will be actually a perk for a lot of professional athletes. And also I corrected. Today, they wait for this moment to find in as well as receive a hairstyle." Most of the sport's most significant names have actually sat inside this salon, which is actually only open in the course of the 2 full weeks of the competition: "I reduced Rafael Nadal's hair coming from lengthy to quick in 2010, that occurred on this site and it was a large package. Everyone from Billie Jean Master to [Martina] Navratilova has beinged in these chairs. Our team possessed Coco here straight after she gained in 2015's competition, too." Vekiu0107 and also her brand new booms, freshly cut by Julien Farel.Captured On Film by Caroline Tompkins.