“I just won, and I want bangs,” Croatian tennis star Donna Vekić proclaims Friday afternoon at the US Open. She’s just beaten Peyton Stearns—and after stretching and showering—her next stop pre–press conference is the petit Julien Farel pop-up salon hidden inside Queens’s Arthur Ashe Stadium. “I had been waiting all season to see Julian and get bangs inspired by Margot Robbie.”
More than two decades ago, hairstylist Julien Farel approached the United States Tennis Association with an idea: a salon where tennis players could come by for a haircut, style, or another form of self-care during the US Open, one of the most high-intensity competitions of their year. “It took them five years to say yes to me,” says Farel, now 16 years into the salon partnership at the open, with a smile. “I was very persistent because I knew this would be a perk for many athletes. And I was right. Now, they wait for this moment to come in and get a haircut.”
Many of the sport’s biggest names have sat inside this salon, which is only open during the two weeks of the competition: “I cut Rafael Nadal’s hair from long to short in 2010—that happened right here, and it was a big deal. Everybody from Billie Jean King to [Martina] Navratilova has sat in these chairs. We had Coco [Gauff] here right after she won last year’s tournament too.”
Farel and his team offer an abbreviated selection of what is available at the Upper East Side salon: Haircuts, blowouts, braids, updos, makeup, manis, and pedis are on the menu. “These are things where a player can stop by, take time for their well-being, and walk out feeling good,” Farel says. We’re interrupted by a man mid interview who asks, “Are coaches allowed to come by and get a trim?” Of course, Farel says, adding that his Manhattan salon is available to players at their leisure too.
With more than 500 players at the open this year, the Farel salon is fully booked. “To have somebody give their all on the court then come here is an honor,” Farel says.
