How to become a Wimbledon ball boy or girl and how much do they get paid?

The likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka might be the stars of the show at Wimbledon 2025.

But that show would not be possible without the tireless work of the tennis ball boys and girls.

And it is not just the players who are at the top of their game over the fortnight of action, with both the ball boys and ball girls having made it through a rigorous selection process and military-style training.

So, exactly how do they become Wimbledon ball boys and girls and how much do they get paid?

How do you become a ball boy or girl at Wimbledon?

Wimbledon ball boys and girls are selected from a number of London schools, with approximately 250 in use throughout the Championships at an average age of 15.

This comes from a pool of around 1,000 applicants.

Roughly 170 are selected from year 9 and year 10 and a further 80 are picked from around 250 ball boys and girls from previous years.

Training starts in February at the Raynes Park Community Sports Ground near Wimbledon in London.

The ball boys and girls train once a fortnight and attend four sessions at the indoor courts before Easter.

After the Easter break, training is held at Wimbledon and lasts until June.

The weekly training sessions last between two and two-and-a-half hours with between 50 and 60 children in attendance at each session.

Once the tournament starts, six teams of six are selected to work on Centre and No.1 Courts, six teams of six rotate around the other show courts and the remainder switch between the rest of the courts.

The usual routine for the ball boys and girls is one hour on and one hour off.

How much do Wimbledon ball boys and girls get paid?

Ball boys and girls working at Wimbledon earn around £200 for the fortnight in SW19.

They also get to keep their iconic Ralph Lauren uniforms at the end of the tournament.

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