Bethanie mattek-sands gets us open off to a colourful start

Bethanie Mattek-Sands isn't known as the Lady Gaga of tennis for nothing; as well as sporting avant-garde outfits on the court (including that tennis-ball studded jacket) she's also fond of switching things up with her hairstyle. Whether it's colour, cut or style, Bethanie isn't shy of making a statement - past looks have included neon green lengths with an undercut, a blue mohawk and a ball-bedecked updo. She's even had her hair coloured by London's reigning king of avant-garde styling, Charlie Le Mindu, who created a peacock plumage of blues and purples for Bethanie's last Wimbledon appearance. As she kicked off her first match of the US Open last night, Bethanie revealed a stylish lilac look created by the team at Julien Farel in New York - the official salon of the event, where all of the players can enjoy a spruce up or restyle. Julien told the NY Times: "Our colourist Aidan Harty brought a palette of fun sherbet-like colors and Bethanie instantly gravitated toward the purple hue. Hopefully the purple will bring her to the second week of the U.S. Open." Bethanie isn't the only player to bring brights to the courts - here are some of the other most colourful characters in tennis; [gallery columns="2" ids="5909,5908,5904,5907"]