ELITE barber Kyle Ross is set to serve up a trim for tennis royalty ahead of an auld enemy grudge match that is being played in Aberdeen.
Multiple grand slam winner Jamie Murray OBE is bringing his “Battle of the Brits” event to the city – a live Scotland versus England tennis match featuring some of the biggest names in the sport.
The doubles legend – who is also the older brother of Wimbledon winner Andy Murray – sought out the services of Kyle, 32, who has won multiple awards as managing director of the city’s Sovereign Grooming.
The tennis star admitted that a gruelling schedule of matches and events has often left him struggling with an unruly mop of hair, so he was determined to do something about it.
Jamie, 35, said: “When you are in the public eye the pictures and videos captured are documented for life and it’s a normal human reaction, that if you see something you don’t like you will pay more attention to it in the future. I’ve learned that first hand.
“Being on the road has its challenges and getting a good hair cut is one of them. Every new country brings the risk of a bad hair cut and I’ve had many in my time, including recently in California where I had to put up with it for a few days as ironically all the barbers were shut!”
Jamie is the tournament director of Battle of the Brits, which takes place at the P&J Live Arena on December 21 and 22. Kyle and his five-strong team will be visiting the city’s Hilton Hotel, where both teams are staying, to take care of any pre-match grooming requirements.
Jamie added: “Looking good and feeling good go hand in hand as it helps you be more confident – and in my case, hopefully play better.”
He will be joined on court by brother, Sir Andy Murray along with other Scottish tennis stars including Jonny O’Mara and Cameron Norrie. The English team is made up of Joe Salisbury, Jack Draper, Dan Evans and Neal Skupski.
Delighted barber Kyle said: “It is a really proud moment for Sovereign Grooming to be asked by Jamie to provide our services. We’re looking forward to helping the team get prepped for their upcoming matches and hope the Scotland team come out on top.
“We may even have a few hand tips that the teams will be able to take to the court.”
Jamie’s grooming tips for life on the road are simple: to stay on top of a hairstyle he advised finding a style that is easily suited to your routine to ensure it is maintainable.
He added: “Lockdown was certainly an interruption to my usual grooming routine. Like many others, my wife ended up being my barber and sometimes we’d just shave it all off to make it easier to manage.
“When we managed to get back into training it was funny to see my coach and team arriving with their untamed hair for the first time.
“Since we couldn’t go to the barbers for such a long period of time, I now treat it like an experience and actually enjoy going whereas previously it used to be a necessity.”
The star also explained how the tennis event is coming to Aberdeen because the players were keen to find a venue outwith the central belt.
He said: “There’s also the fact that the P&J is a great venue. Local people normally have to travel far to see anything live, so its nice to give bring world class tennis to their doorstep.
“The event should be good fun as it will give players the chance to represent their home nation as normally we’d play as Great Britain. Everyone, including both players and spectators, have a vested interest in how their individual country performs so it should create a bit of friendly competition.”
Acclaimed Barber, Kyle Ross who has been garlanded with a string of industry awards, set up Sovereign Grooming in Aberdeen’s Union Street in 2016. It was an immediate hit and he has since attracted investment to open salons in both Edinburgh and Glasgow.
He was named Best Barber UK at the International Barber Awards in 2017, a year which also saw him named Scottish Men’s Stylist of the Year. In 2018, he was named Best Barber at the Scottish Hair and Beauty Awards and in 2019 was shortlisted for GQ Magazine’s Barber of the Year title, one of only a handful of stylists outside London to have been shortlisted.
Visit the Sovereign Grooming website – https://sovereign-grooming.com/locations/edinburgh – to book an appointment with Kyle or his team.
