Confessions of a Madrid Masters ballgirl - would you leave the house with a puffy face?

So we've been given an insidery look into what it's like for a ballkid at the US and Aussie Opens. Now we get a peek into the challenges facing the models-turned-ballgirls at the Madrid Masters.

Karly Baptista is taking her turn throwing balls and handing towels to the biggest ballers on the ATP Tour. But this wasn't the gig she was expecting when she got the call:

The truth is that it was pure coincidence. I received a call from a friend to attend a casting like any other, when they told me it was to work as a ball-girl in of the most important tennis tournament's in Spain I was somewhat astonished.

Karly described the rigorous preparations the models must go through before hitting the court:

The truth is that, we have to get up very early so that when we eventaully (sic) get there our faces are not puffed. Then we go through hairdressing, make-up and the internal review to check that our clothing and appearance are perfect - the modeling things.

Sounds like my morning ritual - I never leave the house before my face has un-puffed. Anyway, the 27-year old also revealed who she'd like to be stranded on a deserted island with:

On a deserted island I would go with Djokovic and Federer, the first for his great humor which characterises him and the second for the class and elegance he exudes.

What, no Rafa? At least we know this ballgirl isn't allowing blind allegiances, bad hair, or screwy makeup to disrupt her important responsibilities on-court. Phew.

(image via mutuamad-mastersmadrid.com)

Wertheim worried about "graying" ballkid takeover, fans become frenzied

It seems SI's Jon L. Wertheim's has created a stir with tennis fans after witnessing a growing trend over the US Open fortnight. In his "50 parting shots" Wertheim mentions:

Something to watch for: the graying of the "ballkids." I swear, for many matches, the average age of the officials was less those of the "kids" squatting at the net. Insert Kramer reference here.

A clearly concerned reader responded in his September 17th mailbag saying,

Re: the graying of the ball kids. I, too, am deeply disturbed by this phenomenon, and can only think of one possible explanation. Perhaps ballboy is a tenured position, and the same people have been ballboying year after year since the beginning of the open era.

Yes, ballkidding is a tenured position like being a long-standing professor at, say, Harvard. So Wertheim answers,

I'm not sure this is cause to be "deeply disturbed," but I think it's a shame nonetheless. I'm sure it's fun for the adults, but being a ballboy seems to me such an effective way to draw kids to the sport. They get to see top-shelf tennis up close and personal. They interact a bit with players. They see just how much talent (and mental strength) is required to be a pro. They get free gear. I think it's no coincidence that so many pros -- including Federer -- were once ballkids.

Good point Wertheim! "Shame" is exactly the word I was grasping for here. But the drama continued in this week's Mailbag when another reader had this take:

About the Kramer-like ball boys, when a Rafa match (for example) goes on and on until past 2 a.m., you can't use kids because it's against U.S. child labor laws. So at least for night sessions, it makes no sense to use kids. So the ball men are necessary!

Wertheim's response?

Those darn child labor laws! That's so F.D.R. We're talking about giving Radek Stepanek a towel, not working the graveyard shift at the bakery. Have we really gotten so soft as a society. ...No, you're right. I presume that's the reason many of the ballkids need their food cut into bite-size pieces and had to curtail their shuffleboarding in order to work the matches.

Hysterical. Seriously, I could care less whether the "ballkid" is a teenager on summer vacation, a 31-year old marketing manager, or my grandpa. That's why they have "tryouts" - if you can run fast and throw far, you're in fair and square, even with grey hair.

(image via Getty)

Confessions of an Aussie Open ballboy, reveals more juicy baller bits

During the US Open we were all treated to some juicy baller bits by Justin Hom, a 31-year old ballman at the year's final major. Well, after putting out the word for more stories, I received a letter from DtL reader Tim who was a ballkid at the Aussie Open in 2000 + 2001.

The requirements to be a ballkid in Melbourne are slightly different from the US Open. Tim explains,

For a start the age limit is very strict, 12-15. Aussie sun being what it is, we were made to wear Legionnaire's hats and long sleeves despite the heat. The other big difference was of course that we rolled the tennis balls, and for good reason. It was quicker and far more efficient than throwing them.

And, unlike Justin who described the so-called "caste system" at the US Open where only senior ballkids worked the big matches, Tim was part of a few major meetups during his short stint including an epic encounter between two great rivals:

My first tournament (2000) was also the first Australian Open to have a semi-final played at night, and I was lucky enough to be chosen for it. Agassi versus Sampras over five sets with a massive fourth set tiebreak. From memory Agassi came from behind to win the tiebreak and used the momentum to win the match. It was intense. Sampras barely ever looked at the ballkids, and never spoke. Agassi was forever urging himself on and talking to himself. After big points he'd turn around and point at us, wanting his towel. He worked the ballkids hard.

The only work Sampras made you do was to get him another of his drinks. He still didn't speak, and just held his nearly empty bottle up and shook it like a bell. If you didn't understand, he'd just shake it again.

How entitled of him! But, Tim not only worked men's matches but the ladies' too. He was involved in a women's doubles match featuring some rising sisters against a couple of teen queens:

2000-2001 was also during the height of Kournikova hysteria. The male ballkids would look expectantly at their court allocation for the day, fingers crossed that they'd get to stare at Miss Kournikova's backside for a while. What do you expect from 15 year olds?

One of my strangest days was a day late in the tournament in 2001. Rain had washed out a lot of games, so Vodafone Arena was used during the evening with the roof closed. Fair enough, except all the spectators had gone home. So the massive crowd pulling match of Kournikova/Hingis versus the Williams sisters went on without a soul watching. The players didn't bother covering their mouths when they were whispering to each other, because you could clearly hear what the other team was saying! The Williams sisters won the match in three sets, but they only lost the first because they were preoccupied with aiming the ball at Anna Kournikova's face!

Damn that's rough but whatever wins you the match, I guess. Tim disagreed, however, with one of Justin's observations:

To respond to what Justin Hom said said about Arnaud Clement, 2001 was the tournament where he reached the final. He was quite demanding, but he never abused anyone that I saw. The reason he wants the towel the way he does is because he only has one hand free, the other preoccupied with holding his prescription sunglasses, which he has to take off to towel his face! After he was punished by Agassi in the 2001 final Clement thanked the ballkids and apologised for working us so hard. Agassi didn't. I know which one I'd prefer to give a towel to, and after being in 'towel corner' for every Agassi match of the tournament, it's not Andre.

I'm not really surprised Andre was such a task-master but it's good to know Arnaud isn't a total ass.

Phew - good stuff! Alright, I'm putting the word out again for ballkid stories. If you've ever worked any of the Grand Slams, especially the French Open or Wimbledon (to complete my own Grand Slam of sorts) I'd love to hear from you.

Send your stories to tips@downthelinetennis.com. Do tell!

(image via australianopen.com)