Pro tennis legends like Rafa and Federer would be nothing without the ball kids who retrieve their wayward serves, and Tennis ACT is recruiting for the upcoming tennis season.

If you’re aged between 10 and 16, you could score the best courtside seat and get up close and personal to elite tennis greats.

Ball kid manager Harrison Frater said that despite the young age of ball kids – mostly aspiring tennis players – they were often more mature than some pro tennis players.

“The kids can be so much more composed than the players are if something’s not going their way,” Harrison said.

“It’s quite the irony that the kids can really handle themselves in a pressure environment, making sure that the balls are getting to the right places and servicing the player at the right times.

“Young tennis players can watch a match unfold and know that players need to keep their calm similar to the ball kids.”

Thanks to Covid, ball kids no longer have to fetch sweaty towels for players, however they occasionally have to remove the odd Bogong moth or grasshopper from the court if necessary.

Above all, ball kids must not be noticed or heard.

“Learning the importance of nonverbal communication is something that kids at that age haven’t quite properly learned in a real-life scenario,” Harrison said.

“The way that they communicate is through their hands, so they’ll show their hands after every point to show if they’ve got balls or not. They can’t talk to each other either, so they give each other nods to confirm that they know where all the balls are before the next point starts.”

Concentrating for 45 minutes straight per shift is a big ask for young kids, particularly on a stinking hot day during a high-stress game.

“They stick to the job at hand but obviously deep down they think how cool it is to be up close and personal with some of the top 200 tennis players in the world,” Harrison said.

“But they do such a good job in staying composed in the moment.”

There are perks to this volunteer job, such as a designated ball-kids hub to watch movies on beanbags in between shifts, plus a uniform to keep.

“They get their own accreditation with their photo and their name and ‘ball kid’ on it so whenever they walk in on the day they flash that to the security guard and for a split-second act like they’re really important,” Harrison said.

Last summer, Tennis ACT had a record 110 ball kids for the Workday Canberra International and they’re hoping for more in January 2027.

As an extra incentive, two Canberra ball kids will be selected to attend the Australian Open in Melbourne (where it’s highly competitive with thousands of ball kid applications).

There, ball kids can watch the world’s best tennis players and sometimes the world’s worst behaviour.

“These players on tour travel so much and if they’ve got a feeling that they’re going to lose or they’re clearly outmatched, they can get quite fiery on court,” Harrison said.

“But the chair umpires do manage the players and obviously keep an eye out for those ball kids, making sure that the players aren’t taking it out on them.”

No prior experience is required, with all successful applicants receiving training ahead of the tournament. New Ball kid training is early October. To apply, visit tennis.com.au/clubs-coaches-officials/ballkids