Aspiring AO ballkids put best foot forward

YOUNG people from the Bendigo region have put their hands up for ballkid selection for next year’s Australian Open tennis Grand Slam.

Nine youngsters took part in level one trials at the Bendigo Regional Tennis Centre on Tuesday night in a bid to become one of the chosen 400 for next year’s tournament in January.

Competition for spots could not be any more intense.

About 2500 children, aged 12 to 15, will participate in extensive trials over the coming weeks, aiming for selection as an official Australian Open ballkid for 2025.

Tennis Victoria development officer Kate-Lyn Perkin, who doubles as the regional ballkids coordinator, said it would be a nervous four to five-week wait for those who tried out to learn whether they would progress to level two of trials.

“We spend basically six weeks doing level one trials, which is for anyone who has never been a ballkid, or has tried out in the past, but never made it to be a ballkid,” she said.

“We’ve got 24 trials venues across the state and are very excited to have 10 of those in regional Victoria.

“It will be a good five weeks before they find out whether they have made it through to level two.

“Obviously, it will be a nervous wait, but we encourage them to keep practicing in between then, as in level two trials, we do focus on more technique stuff.”

Hopefuls will face even stiffer opposition at level two trials, which are not only for successful level one candidates, but those who have already been ballkids at events, including the Australian Open.

“Just because you have been a ballkid once, it doesn’t mean you get to do it again. You have got to come back and trial like everyone else, but you start at level two,” Perkin said.

Perkin praised the enthusiasm and application of the Bendigo region hopefuls.

“The kids were great – they all listened and any feedback they were given they took on board,” she said.

“They were a little bit nervous – a little bit quiet to begin with – but the good thing about them was they were all very coachable and did try to adjust to anything if they needed to.

“Definitely a lot more excited at the end than they were at the start, but we put that down to nerves.”

While the ballkids will undoubtedly have ‘the best seat in the house’ come January, Perkin said the ballkid experience offered much more than the chance to see their favourite tennis stars up close.

“It’s such an amazing experience for the kids – they learn things, they make new friends, and they get some pretty good life skills out of it,” she said.

Among the hopefuls, Amaya Millard travelled from Castlemaine to take part.

The 12-year-old, who named top-ranked Australian Alex Di Minaur as her favourite player and has been playing tennis for two years, was grateful for the experience.

“It was fun. There was definitely a couple of players better than me, but I learned quite a few things,” Amaya said.

“It was my first time trialling, so it was a bit nerve-racking at first, but I ended up fine.

“It would be nice to get through to the next stage.”

From Macedon, Daniel Rollinson made the almost 100-kilometre trek to follow his dream of being a ballkid.

The 11-year-old, who has been playing since he was five, said he had received strong encouragement from his mum and brother to audition.

“I went to the Australian Open this year, which inspired me to want to become a ballkid,” said Daniel, whose favourite player is current World No.1 and winner of the past two Australian Open men’s titles Jannik Sinner, from Italy.

“It (the trial) was kind of tough, but it was what I expected to be.

“It will be a nervous few weeks, finding out how I went. I think I have a good chance of getting into stage two.

“I love tennis – it’s a fun game, easy to play and you get to meet new friends given you play doubles.” More sport from page 27.