Strive to survive: Film shows the pressure ball kids face to earn an Australian Open spot

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Formula 1 has done it, so has professional golf, the National Hockey League and the elite tennis tour. Now it's time for ball boys and ball girls to take center court in a reality-style documentary.

Tennis Australia this week said "Ballkids," a 65-minute film, is set to "lift the lid on the unsung heroes of the Australian Open." It was filmed at the season-opening Grand Slam tournaments in 2023 and 2024 at Melbourne Park and will premiere May 3 at the Gold Coast Film Festival in Queensland state.

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While it won't have the high-profile, episode-style format of F1's "Drive to Survive," which will start its seventh season this week, “Full Swing” in golf or “Faceoff: Inside the NHL, " which is now in production for its second season, the makers of "Ballkids" say it will chronicle the often cut-throat selection process and rigorous training program.

Indeed.

The documentary says that of 3,000-plus applications, only 420 are chosen as Australian Open ball kids in any given year. And that's for the right to cope with the stress of performing, at times, in front of 14,000 to 15,000 people in the main Rod Laver Arena, with millions of people watching on television or streaming sites around the world.

Tennis already had "Break Point," which ran for two seasons on Netflix and featured players from the ATP and WTA Tours. But "Ballkids" is set to show the "unsung heroes who only share the court with the world's best players."

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Friendships are made early on in the qualifying process, but the kids know they're competing against each other for those coveted spots on the team.

"Nothing will fully prepared you for the pressure," an Australian Open official says in the documentary. "A rookie's first AO experience is like a really friendly smack in the face!"

That's particularly true near the end of the tournament when the so-called "Top Gun" winners are announced. They're the ball kids who get to work the championship finals in men's and women's singles, doubles and mixed doubles. At that point, perhaps some friendships made, and some lost.

"Ballkids" was produced by Run Wild Productions in association with Mischief Media and is narrated by Australian comedian-actor Celia Pacquola.

"We've always known that the ball kids are integral to the smooth running of the tournament, but ‘Ballkids' shows just how much effort, skill, and determination it takes to make it to the top," said Scott Baskett, a director and producer at Run Wild Productions.

"This documentary is not just about tennis, it's about resilience, teamwork, and the pursuit of perfection—values that transcend the sport."