New ball girls, please! Kate and Federer rally around unsung stars
King of Grass shares some tips with the Princess as they knock the ball around ahead of Wimbledon
STANDING across the net from Roger Federer on court at Wimbledon, the Princess of Wales was likely aware that any hope of success would rest on not making a mistake.
But while the King of Grass was normally quick to pounce on any unforced error by his opponents at the All England Club, the Princess escaped with just some playful ribbing when she caught the ball instead of letting it bounce.
In a video to highlight their support for the tennis championship’s ball boys and girls, Federer gently corrects the Princess for the action.
“In Australia they would catch it but in Wimbledon they don’t,” the Swiss player says, smiling.
The pair appeared on the championship’s No3 Court for a doubles rally. Federer, an eight-time Wimbledon champion, and the Princess, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, wanted to highlight the integral role of the ball boys and girls, as well as the training required to qualify for the championships.
The Princess, 41, said: “Wimbledon is renowned for its amazingly professional ball boys and ball girls, the amount of work it takes, it’s incredible to see it behind the scenes.”
Released just over a week before the tournament starts, the video features the pair visiting the All England Club to meet returning and prospective ball boys and girls and hear about their experiences in training for the role.
Before they start their doubles game, Federer asks the Princess “would you like to start or shall I start”, to which she replies: “I think you should start Roger.”
They are shown in a rally before her shot down the middle beats Federer and his partner.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion laughs and says:
“I think it was on the line, amazing!”
The Princess then joins the ball boys and girls in a training session. A ball girl, Mollie, guides the Princess through the proper stance and ball-feeding style.
“Any tips on my serve would be very helpful,” Kate instructs Federer, to which he responds: “The serve looks good.”
The pair then visit the All England Club’s Indoor Tennis Centre. They meet Sarah Goldson, a ball boy and girl manager, before observing the session to learn about the different skills required for the role and hearing from the teenagers about their training. After
‘I used to be a ball kid in Basel when I was nine or ten – once a ball kid always a ball kid’
the session, the Princess tells them: “With all the discipline and everything you’ve learnt, you’ll be able to take it into so many other parts of your life, things like confidence and that feeling of pride with being on any of the courts is such a big moment.”
The film ends with the pair taking part in the session by shadowing the ball boys and girls. Each year about 1,000 applicants from local schools, aged 13 to 15, apply, eventually getting whittled down to 250.
Training sessions over several months lead to a final cohort being selected.
Federer said: “I used to be a ball kid in Basel when I was nine or ten – once a ball kid always a ball kid.”
The Championships take place from July 3 to 16 and the film will be played throughout the tournament on Henman Hill, to those in the queue and around the ground.