How players keep their hair on point at U.S. Open
NEW YORK — Jack Sock was late for his 5 o’clock haircut appointment Tuesday afternoon at the U.S. Open. The good thing: He needed only an elevator ride to get there.
One of the many amenities the USTA offers to players at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is a free-of-charge salon, which entails world-class stylists and haircuts, as well as manicures, pedicures and facials.
And who’s using these services more and more? The men.
“It’s been a big evolution with the men. It’s amazing,” salon owner Julien Farel told Paste BN Sports in an interview. “We have earned their trust. Men are taking care of their look more, and to me, there is no better accessory than the hair.”
Rafael Nadal uses the salon each year before the Open, while Novak Djokovic, Kei Nishikori and Andy Murray have come in for cuts in the past, as well.
Nadal, who gets his hair cut at Farel’s salon at the Loews Regency Hotel in Manhattan, asked for a shorter cut this year for the first time since 2010. That left Farel clipping with excitement: 2010 was the year Nadal won his first U.S. Open.
“He is ready for a new ‘do,” Farel explained. “A new Rafa is coming. Hopefully he can get through as far as possible.”
At the salon inside Ashe, it is easier to get through if you are a higher-ranked player: The top seeds get priority. Some 35 to 50 haircuts are performed each day, as Farel employs seven to eight people on site for a variety of treatments. Some women like to come back and have a certain braid done if they won their previous match with that same style. Pedicures, meanwhile, are of growing popularity among the men this year.
The salon is in its 10th year, but its part of the USTA’s efforts to pamper players and give them the ultimate New York City experience. This year, the tournament is offering a 24-hour concierge service, Reserv Concierge, that will help players book tables at hard-to-get-into restaurants or find them tickets for a Broadway show.
“Everyone is a VIP, the player and their entourage,” said Stacey Allaster, the USTA’s new head of pro tennis. “That’s a change of approach for us as an organization.”
Players have $75 per day on their meal cards (a 50 percent increase from 2015) to use on site and a $200 American Express gift card to treat themselves elsewhere. An on-site spa has been discussed for the future, Allaster said.
While the salon is a hit for some, it isn’t the go-to for everyone. Australian star Nick Kyrgios’ eccentric look is the work of an “old-school barber shop” in Manhattan, he said, adding: “I think my hair is on point.”
Milos Raonic’s never-moving mane is the work of barbers he’s found in each of the four Grand Slam cities. For Juan Martin Del Potro, it’s the same guy he’s used for years and years at home.
“I have my coiffeur in Argentina,” he said simply. “I trust him.”
American Steve Johnson said he’s used the salon at the U.S. Open, but also usually waits to go home to Los Angeles where he has a barber who “gets me right,” he said.
“Sometimes if you’re on the road for six or seven weeks, you don’t want to look like a homeless person,” Johnson explained of using the salon.
All four of tennis’ Grand Slams have on-site free-of-charge salons for players, while big-level U.S. events in Indian Wells and Cincinnati help players book services in their respective areas.
John McEnroe said haircuts weren’t “high on the level of importance” when he was on tour. He went to a local barber in Queens.
“Don. What was his name? I don't remember his last name,” McEnroe said.
One U.S. Open upgrade this year, however, means perhaps slower days for Farel and his team: the roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“When it’s raining, then you have everyone in here,” Farel said of rain delays. “That will change for us this year. But still, we will be busy. It will be more smooth.”
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