Much is made of baseball players who let their beards grow fulsomely, especially during playoff season when superstitious rituals run rampant. The thinking is that the ballplayers’ “shave it for later” attitude will lead the team to victory. Or maybe that there’s a curse caused by a franchise-wide lack of facial hair.
Whatever the reason, it turns out that guys with racquets have a good grooming game, too. Suddenly, tennis players are sporting bold beards, Super-Mario ‘staches and some solid eyebrow-scaping (we’re looking at you, Nick Kyrgios).
Let’s all take a moment to hail the five tennis players who showed up at the 2019 US Open with on-point grooming strategies. All we can say is love-love.
FRENCH DRESSING: You could grow a bushy beard, sculpt a fade, pop your collar and even learn to speak French. And you still wouldn’t be Benoit Paire.
AUSSIE RULES: Nick Kyrgios usually shows up with some combination of a modified chin strap, soul patch, cool ‘stache and an eyebrow slit—a thin line notched into a brow, that is.
HAIRWAY TO STEVEN: Okay, stylish Steve Johnson has earned props for his throwback solo ‘stache. Well-played, Stevie.
ROGER THAT: Roger Federer, the No. 3 seed, gets credit for trying out the trend. But after a complicated first-round match, he blamed his rusty game on his rusty beard. And he showed up clean-cut for Round 2.
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: Never one to do anything half-heartedly, Fabio Fognini, ranked No. 11, may well have started the “tennis guys who groom” trend, with his pointy beard, soul patch and full mustache. Game, set, match, Fabio.
