Thousands of kids aged 12 to 15 will participate in extensive trials over the coming months, all vying for selection as an official Australian Open 2027 ballkid.
Sale Tennis Club is hosting Level 1 ballkid trials on Sunday 17 May, 2026.
The final AO 2027 squad of around 400 ballkids will complete a minimum of four on-court training sessions in Melbourne and an official induction and orientation day, where they will learn about the tournament and the important role they play.
Training includes drills to develop ball handling skills, rolling with precision, and anticipating players’ needs. The final step is perfecting the march on and off court.
On-court skills are mastered at the Australian Wheelchair Tennis Nationals in November, as the squad builds towards peaking for Australian Open 2027 to be held 17-31 January.
Sale Tennis Club member Louis Lazzaro volunteered as a ball kid for three consecutive years, including as a BallKid leader in 2025. He was honoured to be chosen to conduct the all-important tournament draw for AO 2025. (Pictured above)
Milla Lazzaro worked as a BallKid in 2025 and said it was a thrill to have such up-close access to players on court and at events.
"I was proud to be chosen as a flag bearer for all of the finals and for the Men’s singles final I was part of the entrance guard of honor, so I was standing within centimeters of Jannik Sinner as he entered Rod Laver Arena," Milla said.
"Some of the days were extremely hot – I remember one match when I had to relieve another ballkid and go on court, because she had fainted in the heat,
"But there were lots of fun things happening too – the AO comms team got us in a few fun videos for Instagram – there’s one about ‘The Click’ which was catchy. We often mucked around in the Ballkids lounge while waiting for our shifts."
If you are between the age of 12-15 as of 31st December this year then you are eligible to try out for a Ballkid position. Check the Australian Open Ballkid website for registration details https://ballkids.tennis.com.au/register.aspx