Ball boys and girls play a crucial part in maintaining the traditions of Wimbledon – so just how much do they line their pockets with for their hard work?
There are certainly worse ways to live out your summer than being surrounded by the world’s top tennis players at Wimbledon.
Dressed identically from head-to-toe in striped Ralph Lauren, Wimbledon’s ball kids ensure every match across all 18 courts can run as smoothly as possible.
But with all this responsibility on their young shoulders, what are the perks of the job?
How much do ball boys and girls get paid at Wimbledon 2024?
Ball boys and girls get paid roughly £200 for their efforts over the fortnight at Wimbledon, according to The Sun. This equates to just over £14 per day.
Over the course of the fortnight, the teenagers work intense one-hour-on, one-hour-off shifts, darting around the court to retrieve balls to not keep them in the hot July sunshine for long spells.
Having been occasionally subjected to outbursts from the likes of Fernando Verdasco or Daniil Medvedev, it perhaps feels like a stingy reward for working in such grueling conditions.
While some of their previous responsibilities such as handing out the towels to players between points have been axed for good after the Covid-19 pandemic, they still must always maintain utmost professionalism and carry out a range of different tasks.
Do ball boys and girls get to keep their Ralph Lauren Wimbledon uniforms?
Short answer – yes. Despite the slim pickings in regard to payment, one of the real perks for the young males and females is being allowed to keep the Ralph Lauren uniform afterwards. What a great souvenir!
How many ball boys and girls are there at Wimbledon 2024?
Out of around 1000 applicants, there are roughly 250 selected to work at the championships each year.
With an average age of 15, there are currently 28 participating schools in London that supply a strong field of prospective ball boys and girls, according to the official Wimbledon site.
Normally, 170 are selected from approximately 750 applicants, with the remaining 80 being kept on from the previous year.
With ball boys having been part of the festivities at Wimbledon for over 100 years, it was in 1980 that the first mixed team of ball girls and boys was introduced.
It goes without saying that Wimbledon is the wonderful occasion it is because of its pageantry and traditions, with the ball boys and girls a central part of the tournament.
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