AP PHOTOS: Tattoos, clay and bouncing hair bring the French Open to life

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PARIS (AP) — It’s the small details that bring the French Open to life — a ball smashing into the strings of Quentin Halys’ racket as he serves, red clay staining a ball boy’s hand, or the burst of dust as Andrey Rublev knocks clay from his shoes.

The tournament pulses with quiet moments: Cameron Norrie carefully changing the tape on his racket, players gripping balls smudged with red, sweat flicking from a wristband during a serve, and the Suzanne-Lenglen court mirrored in a spectator’s sunglasses.

Body art and jewelry stand out — Aryna Sabalenka’s fierce tiger tattoo, Alexander Bublik’s reminder to “Always be a leader, not a follower” — while a tiny bug briefly lands on Alexander Zverev’s shirt near his ram necklace.

Even in a still image, Elina Svitolina’s bouncing hair carries a rhythm unique to the Parisian clay.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis