The Finemark Women’s Pro Tennis Championship was in full swing. Competitors came from all over the world to play for the $15,000 prize money and a chance to advance to Grand Slam tournaments like the US Open and Wimbledon.
What made this tournament a little different is that the ballrunners —typically very young—are eligible for senior discounts.
But age is no obstacle for these runners. They love being out there in the middle of the action, just a few feet away from world-class tennis players.
“It's the best seat in the house. And it's, if you're a tennis player, even if you're not, it's fascinating to be out there with them and appreciate the speed of the sport.” That’s Debbie Brandenburg, age 64. She has been a ballrunner for six years, nearly since the tournament’s start.
Gary McManus, age 65, says that it’s a thrill to see the ball coming at him at 80 or 90 miles per hour. “They tell you to stand still, and you see this ball coming at you. And a lot of times, all of a sudden, you see this racket appear out of nowhere and they're hitting the ball back. But they do, they hit the ball very hard. And it's very, it's very exciting to see,” McManus said.
The runners work in teams of six and are on the court for an hour. They rest for an hour then go back on court for another hour. Despite the blazing Florida sun, the ballrunners I talked to said one hour on the court flies by. The tournament employs 150 ballrunners, and 85 percent of those who served last year are back again this year.
Fifty-year-old Teal Aroy loves being on the court with her daughters, ages 14 and 12. They have been ballrunning together for four years.
“I was at the net running yesterday with my daughter, Addison, and she's so fun to do it with. And she's so quick. And we're always giving each other a little, like, signals. And it's fun because I think we work really well together and that's very fun,” Aroy said.
Aroy adds that she loves supporting the female athletes, who inspire her daughters.
The family also hosts a player at their home each year.
“So this year we have a player from Argentina and the kids love getting to know her and they play tennis together during the week,” said Aroy.
McManus says the ballrunners’ goal is to be invisible.
“I think our goal is not to be noticed, not to be noticed by the spectators, by the chair umpire, by the players. If we're doing a good job, then we're not being noticed,” he said.
Tennis players themselves, the ballrunners say that working the tournament invigorates their own game. Though they may watch the pros a little differently now.
“When you watch it on TV, you're always watching the players. Now, when I watch these tennis tournaments, I watch the ball runners as much as I watch the players,” said Brandenburg.
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