How much do Wimbledon ball boys and girls earn, and what kind of training do they go through?
Ball boys and girls are a big part of Wimbledon every year, but have you ever wondered how much they get paid for all their hard work?
Wimbledon 2026 is happening now in SW19, and fans around the world are tuning in to watch one of the most exciting sports events of the summer. The tournament runs for 14 days, from Monday, June 29 to Sunday, July 12, with both men’s and women’s singles featuring 128 players each. Over two weeks, nearly 700 matches take place across 18 courts.
Watching many of these matches are the famous Wimbledon ball boys and girls. Their job is to keep the games running smoothly by collecting loose balls and quickly giving players fresh ones. Every year, about 280 ball boys and girls are chosen, mostly between 14 and 17 years old. Wimbledon usually gets around 1,400 applications each year!
Out of those chosen, about 180 are Year 9 and Year 10 students from local schools, and about 100 are returning ball boys and girls who did a great job the year before. Even though the job is demanding and the selection is tough, ball boys and girls don’t get a salary. Instead, they receive around £200 to cover expenses during the two weeks, plus free meals and drinks while they’re working.
They also get to keep their cool Ralph Lauren Wimbledon uniforms forever, and some even get amazing seats to watch big matches on Centre Court and Court One. The huge number of applications shows that many young people feel being part of Wimbledon is reward enough.
Once they’re selected, training starts as early as February, about four months before the tournament. Recruits attend weekly sessions at the All England Club’s training center in Raynes Park, London, where they practice speed drills, court exercises, and take written tests to learn the tennis rules.
Alex Crockford, who was a Wimbledon ball boy in the 2000s, said the training was tougher than people might think. “The training was intense and very physical,” he told the Daily Express. “We practiced how to throw the ball perfectly to players and how to stand still for long periods.”
About a month before Wimbledon starts, training moves to the Wimbledon grounds so they can practice on the grass while wearing their full uniforms, getting ready for the big event ahead.