Australian Open 2026 ballkid trials underway

Thousands of kids aged 12 to 15 will participate in extensive trials over the coming weeks, all vying for selection as an official Australian Open ballkid in 2026.

Beginning this weekend, level one trials will be held at 20 tennis clubs across Victoria for the next month, followed by level two trials for returning and successful level one ballkids on 19-20 July.

The final AO 2026 squad of around 400 ballkids will complete a minimum of four on-court training sessions and an official induction and orientation day, where they will learn about the tournament and the important role they play.

Training includes drills to develop ball handling skills, rolling with precision, and anticipating players’ needs. The final step is perfecting the march on and off court.

On-court skills are mastered at the Australian Wheelchair Tennis Nationals in November, as the squad builds towards peaking for Australian Open 2026, where the main draw kicks off on 18 January.

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