With balls capable of whizzing across the tennis court at more than 150 miles per hour, you’re probably paying much more attention to that action than to the people darting around picking up the strays. But while working as a ball boy or ball girl may be no star turn, it does have its perks—namely, the kind of vantage point at major tournaments like the US Open that otherwise carries a price tag in the thousands of dollars.
And that probably explains why hundreds of fans flocked to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens earlier this summer to vie for a spot on the US Open crew, as I saw firsthand. When reps from the retailer Ralph Lauren, which designs the official uniforms, offered SELF the chance to attend a mock tryout, I’d jumped at the opportunity, eager to see if I had what it took. While my session was just for media members, it included pretty much all the same stuff the general public would go through in their event just a little while later.
On a blistering Friday in late June, I Ubered to Arthur Ashe Stadium to experience an hour in the life of a US Open ball person for myself. As I learned, that involves a lot more than simply removing net balls: A ball person actually has a bunch of other duties, too, like passing balls to colleagues and servicing the players (more on that in a bit). The overarching goal: Minimize disruption to play and ensure a seamless transition between points.
To be honest, I wasn’t optimistic about my own chances of making the cut. Even though I played tennis in high school and try to stay fairly active in my day-to-day life now that I can’t fall back on after-school practice, endurance has never been my strong suit, and my once-solid eye-hand coordination has declined over time. I didn’t think I’d be able to run for nearly 45 minutes straight, especially not in 90-plus-degree heat (or what felt like it). And when you strip away all the little formalities, that’s pretty much 75% of the job description.
But I resolved to not write myself off too soon. When I arrived at the stadium, I changed into a complimentary (and super sharp) US Open ball girl uniform—a navy visor, color-blocked polo shirt, and navy skort—and headed out to the courts, thankful that the hat provided some protection from the beating sun. There, I met the other person “trying out:” none other than Peloton cycling and running instructor Matt Wilpers, whose wife tagged along to capture footage.
Courtesy of Ralph Lauren