The Australian Open can’t happen without them, but ballkids still don’t get paid for all their efforts at the Grand Slam tournament – and an Aussie tennis great wants the injustice fixed.
Ballkids are paid at Wimbledon and the US Open, earning hundreds of dollars over a fortnight.
Former world No.8 Mark Philippoussis has called on Tennis Australia to pay the boys and girls for their work on the courts, which has seen them faint and vomit in the intense Melbourne heat this year.
‘Why not?’ he said.
‘Give them some pocket money.
‘It’s a great opportunity for these kids to get out there and enjoy the atmosphere, to walk around, to watch some matches.
Novak Djokovic talks to a ball kid during a match at the Australian Open. The boys and girls don’t get paid for their work in Melbourne
Mark Philippoussis has called on Tennis Australia to fix the situation and give the ballkids what they’re due
Ballkids don’t just pick up balls – they’re also there to help players like Frances Tiafoe (pictured) during matches
‘But I know that this tournament spends a lot of money to make sure everyone’s happy.’
Prize money for the players has risen 16 per cent on last year, with a total of $111.5million up for grabs at Melbourne Park.
Losers in the first round of the main draw collect $150,000, with the men’s and women’s singles champions both paid $4.15million.
Despite the rivers of gold flowing through the tournament, Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley defended the decision not to pay ballkids.
Tiley said kids get uniforms, food and experience instead of money, and that should be enough.
‘It’s not a simple answer as yes or no, because there’s a lot of labour-related challenges that you’ve got to consider in it,’ he said.
‘But the ballkids get paid in lieu of cash in other ways, through tickets and transport and covering costs of food and all those things, and gifting.’
A group of 435 ballkids aged between 12 and 15 are working about eight hours a day in 45-minute to one-hour sessions on court, including late nights.
Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley says ballkids are rewarded with other things besides money
Ballkids are appreciated by players and fans for all their work at the tournament
The ballkids have battled extreme heat at this year’s event, with two collapsing in the intense heat
They’re also battling extreme heat.
Zeynep Sonmez rushed to the aid of a ball kid who collapsed during her first-round upset win over No.11 Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Tennis Australia confirmed that the youngster received medical attention at Melbourne Park before being allowed to go home.
Another ball kid threw up on court during Stefanos Tsitsipas’s first-round match.
Some fans hit out at the governing body on social media.
One X user wrote: ‘My god. This is awful. Why are they putting these kids in danger?’
Another ballkid collapsed at Melbourne Park during French star Luca van Assche’s qualifying match against Tunisian Moez Echargui.
Ballkids are very popular among players and fans because they don’t just pick up stray balls.
They’re often seen removing insects from baselines and mopping up rain from courts.
The best ballkids at the tournament are also picked to work at the French and China Opens.
Despite Philippoussis’s call for the ballkids to be paid, another former Aussie tennis star Alicia Molik said the kids should be honoured just to participate at the tournament.
‘I just think it’s a great opportunity for the kids, irrespective,’ she said.
‘It’s a great thing to have on your CV, isn’t it? The fact that you’ve worked at the Australian Open.’
Many Aussies online backed calls for the kids to be paid.
‘Let’s see if Craig will fill his role for a gift pack and get experiences. In this day and age they need to be paid. Even if it’s $400 each for two weeks. Doesn’t touch the sides of what he’s earning. What a joke,’ one person said.
