Wimbledon ball boy reveals secrets of 'intense' selection process and 'gruelling' training

A Wimbledon ball boy has revealed the "gruelling" training and "intense" selection process they have to go through to prove they have what it takes to work at the tournament.

Alex Sparks, 17, is one of 250 ball boys and girls assisting players at the championships this year.

In an interview with the Standard, he described the "very intense" selection process and how anyone who "lags behind" during training is often cut from the team.

The teenager, who has worked at the tournament three times, said "the pressure to remain on top of your game is constant" and that every single week of training gets harder.

"Training starts pretty early on in January at school. Some of the old ball kids help out.

"We train for two and a half hours a week until the championships in July and that's when it narrows down."

Wimbledon ball boys and girls are recruited from local schools in south London.

They must be in Year 9 or above and have what it takes to remain cool under the pressure on the court.

Alex explained that each ball boy and girl is taught a new skill each week.

"We practice them until they are perfect but if there is someone who is lagging behind then they get cut," he said.

"You can't just make it to the championships and think 'that's it I'm in,' because there is always new things to learn. You have got to try every single week, every week it gets harder," he said.

To be a successful ball boy or girl you must master two key skills - rolling and feeding, Alex said.

"Feeding is when you give the ball to the player, rolling is when you pass the ball between ball pits," he explained.

"I am a centre, I don't do much feeding but really rolling is the hardest skill, it is the basis of being a ball boy."

When it comes to the matches Alex said it is important for a ball boy or girl to remain invisible.

"The whole point is that we are under the radar and that we get the balls where they need to be without people noticing."

He said he does get nervous at the idea of millions of people watching him.

"Everyone gets nervous. The first shift out I did I was so nervous I was going to mess up, but you zone out as soon as you are on the court."