© Bob Martin

Ball boys have a long history at Wimbledon. In the 1920’s & 30’s ball boys were provided by Shaftesbury Homes. From 1946, this service was provided by volunteers from institutions and schools:

1920s & 1930s	Shaftesbury Homes
1946-1966	Dr Barnardo’s Homes
1967-1968	Shaftesbury Homes
1969-1986	The Wandsworth School, Southfields
1969-1989	The Nork Park Secondary School
1969-1989	Westmeads High School, Morden
1969-2002	Eastfields High School, Mitcham
1969-current	Raynes Park High School, Raynes Park
1969-current	Rutlish High School, Merton
1969-2006	Tamworth Manor High School, Mitcham
1969-current	Wimbledon College, Wimbledon
1977-2002	Rowan High School, Streatham
1977-current	Ricards Lodge High School
1977-current	Ursuline Convent High School, Wimbledon
1987-1991	The John Archer School, Wandsworth
1990-current	The Beacon School, Banstead
1998-current	Sunbury Manor School, Sunbury
1998-current	Holy Cross Convent School, Wimbledon
1999-current	Wimbledon High School, Wimbledon
2000-current	Bishopsford Community School, Morden
2001-current	Overton Grange School, Sutton
2001-current	Wilson’s School, Wallington
2003-current	Sutton Grammar School, Sutton
2003-2006	Mitcham Vale School, Mitcham
2003	Richard Challoner School, New Malden
2004-current	Graveney School, Tooting
2005	Southfields Community School, Southfields
2006-current	Southborough School, Surbiton
2006-current	John Fisher School, Purley
2007	Hall  School Wimbledon
2007	St Mark s CoE Academy Mitcham
2007	Harris Academy  Merton

Participating schools make the initial nominations of the ball boys/girls. No particular weight or height is required.

Schools are asked to send candidates who meet the following requirements:

• Have completed the 1st 6 modules of the online training programme & registered their details online
• Are generally in Year 9 or 10
• Have no exams during The Championships
• Are able to give priority to training during the training period
• Are physically fit
• Have a good knowledge of the laws of tennis
• Are available to start training at 4 p.m.
• Understand that absence for any reason (including illness and injury) lasting two weeks or longer may result in failure to qualify for further training
• Are available for middle Sunday if required
• Are sure that work experience/school trips will not result in missed sessions.

• Pass a written test on the rules and scoring of tennis at Wimbledon
• Be able to carry out instructions & drills
• Be able to complete a circuit & then stand still for 3 minutes
• Show good speed in shuttle runs

And using the instructions outlined on the online training programme:

• Roll 3 fast, flat, straight balls (one after another arriving in released order)
• Feed, receive and indicate ‘no tennis balls’ as instructed
• Pivot using correct foot movement
• Adopt the correct stance

Wimbledon training is directed by Anne Rundle, who used to teach in Merton. Anne Rundle has been involved in Wimbledon training for over 20 years.

Approximately 250 Ball Boys and Ball Girls are chosen from around 600 applicants. Approximately 160 are selected from about 300 Year 9 & 10 applicants and approximately 90 are chosen from about 150 ball boys/girls from previous years. The ratio of boys to girls is about 50:50.

Training begins in February at Sutton Junior Tennis Centre. Each prospective bbg will train once  a fortnight and also attend 3 brief court training sessions at the Covered Courts  before Easter.

After the Easter break all training takes place at Wimbledon (mainly on the Covered Courts) Lasts until mid June apart from school holidays. There are four training sessions per week, with each training session lasting 2 hours for 50-60 children per session.

Training sessions involve general fitness & movement exercises, circuits, ball skills (rolling, feeding, receiving), developing knowledge of the game, scoring (e.g. knowing which end the balls should be at from the score), and set pieces (marching, start and end of game, tie-break, ball change, suspended play, etc.). Candidates are constantly assessed throughout training.

Wimbledon Ball Boys/Girls are not involved in the Qualifying Competition.

• 1977 - Ball Girls introduced
• 1980 - first mixed teams of Ball Boys and Girls
• 1986 - Ball Girls on Centre Court for the first time
• The average age is 15 years

• Four teams of six, selected by Anne Rundle and her team, are responsible for Centre and No. 1 Courts.
• Six teams of 6 rotate around the other show courts.
• The remainder, also in teams of 6, rotate around the rest of the courts.
• The usual routine is 1 hour on, 1 hour off.
• The Ball Boys and Ball Girls usually arrive at 10.30 a.m. and leave as soon as possible after the last court is closed.