." I only won and I prefer thumps," Croatian ping pong superstar Donna Vekiu0107 declares Friday mid-day of the United States Open. She's just beaten Peyton Stearns-- as well as after extending as well as bathing-- her following quit pre-press conference is actually the petit Julien Farel pop-up beauty parlor concealed inside Queens's Arthur Ashe Stadium. "I had actually been hanging around all season to see Julian and get bangs inspired by Margot Robbie." More than twenty years ago, hairdresser Julien Farel approached the United States Ping Pong Association with a tip: a beauty salon where ping pong players could drop by for a hairstyle, type, or yet another kind of self-care throughout the US Open, some of the absolute most high-intensity competitors of their year. "It took them 5 years to say yes to me," Farel, now 16 years right into the beauty parlor partnership at the Open, informs me with a smile. "I was actually quite persistent given that I recognized this would be a perk for many athletes. And also I corrected. Right now, they await this instant to find in and also get a hairstyle." Most of the sporting activity's greatest titles have sat inside this beauty parlor, which is actually merely open during the course of both weeks of the competitors: "I reduced Rafael Nadal's hair coming from lengthy to brief in 2010, that occurred on this site and also it was actually a large deal. Everyone coming from Billie Jean Master to [Martina] Navratilova has actually sat in these office chairs. Our team had Coco listed below right after she won in 2015's competition, also." Vekiu0107 and her brand new bangs, recently reduced through Julien Farel.Captured On Film by Caroline Tompkins.