Tobias Bell takes tennis-inspired cuts to the Wimbledon queue

Celebrity hairstylist Tobias Bell, known to more than a million social media followers as That Hair Guy, spent opening day at Wimbledon giving fans in the tournament's famous queue complimentary tennis-inspired haircuts.

The activation, a partnership with fruit brand Del Monte, saw Bell take over a Wimbledon barber shop rebranded as the home of Fresh Cuts before roaming the queue offering quick touch-ups. Fans could pick from looks inspired by some of the sport's most recognisable hair, including Pat Cash's feathered mullet and headband, Anna Kournikova's plait, and a playful tennis ball buzz cut. Del Monte handed out samples of its Fresh Cut fruit range alongside the styling.

For a stylist built on bold transformations, editorial work and a celebrity client list, the brief was a neat fit. Recreating decades-old sporting hair as wearable modern cuts on the spot is a real test of technique, and the buzz cut tennis ball design in particular is the kind of shareable moment that translates straight to social.

Bell said the sport's hair heritage gave him plenty to work with. "Tennis has produced some of the most recognisable hairstyles in sport, and it's been brilliant to partner with Del Monte to bring them back to life for fans joining the queue on opening day," he said. "Whether it was a nod to Björn Borg, John McEnroe or something a little more playful like a tennis ball design, everyone embraced the fun of it."

The activation was built on brand-commissioned research of 2,000 UK adults, run by OnePoll, which found that 78 per cent of Brits would queue up to 12 hours to get into Wimbledon and 40 per cent would happily accept a free haircut while they waited. The same survey found tennis players still shape how people style themselves, with almost a third saying they had taken inspiration from a player's look, and 44 per cent of those pointing to a player's hair specifically. Björn Borg's headband and flowing locks were voted the most iconic tennis hairstyle, while Andre Agassi took the title of most memorable on-court hair.

The Fresh Cuts experience took place on 29 June at a Wimbledon barber shop and throughout the queue.