US Open viewers were understandably bemused to see adult men and women retrieving tennis balls at the grand slam tournament.
“Kramer, I think perhaps you’ve overlooked one of the key aspects of this activity,” Jerry Seinfeld quips in his popular 90s sitcom.
“It’s ball BOYS, not ball men. There are no ball men.”
Kramer quickly responds: “Well there oughta be ball men, Jerry!”
Seinfeld fans will remember the classic episode from the hit show’s fifth season, where Kramer defies convention and stereotyping to become one of the best ball boys in New York.
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For decades, young teens and aspiring tennis players have traditionally served as ball persons in professional tournaments – at the Australian Open, for example, ball kids must be aged between 12–15 years.
US Open viewers were therefore understandably bemused to see adult men and women retrieving tennis balls at the grand slam tournament this week.
As it turns out, the US Open is the only major tournament without an upper age limit for ball persons – of the 195 members of the current team in New York, approximately two-thirds are classified as veterans.
Harry Villareal, for example, returned to Flushing Meadows this week to work his 33rd consecutive US Open, having made his debut as a 14-year-old back in 1989.
As reported by Curbed, evaluators specifically look for speed, agility, focus, and the ability to camouflage – age is not an essential factor in picking the team.
The US Open is also the only Grand Slam to pay its ball persons.
“Ball persons are an essential part of the tournament,” the official US Open website reads.
“They play a vital role on the court is to allow for smooth, uninterrupted game play and ensure that the needs of the players are addressed throughout the match.”
Since 2018, US Open ball persons have been advised to roll the tennis balls to one another rather than exchange them in the air.
“By rolling between positions, we are putting less emphasis on a single skill-set, in this case throwing, and instead looking at the importance of slotting more well-rounded athletes at the positions,” US Open director of ball people Tina Taps said in 2018.
“In making this change, we are able to focus more on speed, dexterity and agility, important attributes for a ball person, along with overall court awareness.”
Meanwhile in New York, Alexei Popyrin is flying the flag for Australian men’s tennis, reaching the third round of the US Open following a stunning 7-6 7-6 4-0 win over 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov.
Popyrin and Jordan Thompson are the only Australian men remaining in the men’s singles draw.
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