US Open 2023 as a Ball Crew Member

Written by: Avary Bourbin, Swish Tribune

As many people are getting ready for the summer to come to a close, some may take this time to experience some last minute summer activities and relax. However, around 350 other people, aged 14 years or older strap on their Polo uniforms and get ready to watch some seriously entertaining tennis. How do I know this? I was one of them.

This job is definitely no joke though. Getting more than 1,100 applicants, the US Open requires people who display athletic capabilities and understand the rules of tennis. Despite having the greatest seats in the house for all the matches, ball crew members are made to go through a three-hour training session to get them ready for what’s to come. This includes running a beep test (where participants run back and forth between two points as their pace gradually increases), practicing rolling balls, and servicing players. It definitely requires at-home practice in order to perfect the specific techniques they are taught.

Not only is it important for members to understand the rules of tennis, but also the signals that all the ball crew members use. This is vital as you can think of the members as being a team on the court, with the sole objective of making a tennis match run smoothly. 

There’s the rule of servicing players with your elbows bent and your hands around the height of your shoulders. When you go to service the player, the ball must bounce once then land on the player's racket or hands, without them having to put any extraneous effort into grabbing it.

The next rule is to always show your crew how many balls you have. This is key so they know when a certain person doesn’t need a ball and needs to get rid of it, or when a person doesn’t have enough balls. You can do this by putting your hands straight down by your sides, and showing the balls just outside your hips. If you have no balls, you do this same act with nothing in your hands.

The most important rule is to not draw attention to yourself. People came to the match or turned it on their television to watch the players, not the ball crew. One member told me on my first day, “If you’re noticed, you’re doing something wrong.” This means you should be quiet in between points, not lean on the wall behind you, and never get out of the typical hands-clasped-together-behind-your-back-position during a point.

Overall, it was an amazing experience where you have the opportunity to see your favorite players’ tendencies and frustration up close. This is an opportunity not many people get, and I would highly recommend it to any tennis or sport fanatic out there.