." I simply won and I really want thumps," Croatian ping pong superstar Donna Vekiu0107 proclaims Friday mid-day of the US Open. She's merely beaten Peyton Stearns-- as well as after flexing as well as showering-- her following cease pre-press event is actually the petit Julien Farel pop-up hair salon concealed inside Queens's Arthur Ashe Arena. "I had actually been actually waiting all period to find Julian as well as receive thumps motivated through Margot Robbie." Greater than twenty years earlier, hair stylist Julien Farel moved toward the USA Ping Pong Association along with a concept: a beauty shop where ping pong players could possibly come by for a haircut, design, or even another form of self-care in the course of the US Open, among the absolute most high-intensity competitions of their year. "It took all of them five years to okay me," Farel, now 16 years in to the salon partnership at the Open, informs me with a smile. "I was actually incredibly relentless given that I understood this will be actually a perk for numerous professional athletes. And I was right. Right now, they wait for this instant to find in and receive a hairstyle." Much of the sport's largest names have actually rested inside this salon, which is actually merely available during the course of the 2 full weeks of the competitors: "I reduced Rafael Nadal's hair coming from lengthy to quick in 2010, that took place right here and it was actually a big package. Everyone from Billie Jean King to [Martina] Navratilova has actually partaken these chairs. We possessed Coco listed here right after she won last year's competition, too." Vekiu0107 and also her new booms, newly reduced through Julien Farel.Photographed by Caroline Tompkins.