A general view of flowers in front of Court 14 during day two of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. Picture date: Tuesday June 28, 2022.
(Picture: PA Wire)1. The manic speed of the ball boys and girls
Wimbledon’s ball girls and boys undergo extensive training of exactly how to stand (legs apart, chest out, arms tucked behind back), offer balls to servers (arm at full stretch above their head) and pick up strays, but what makes them a compelling addition to the on-court spectacle is the slightly unnerving speed with which they go about their task. Whether it is two or ten meters they have to run to collect a ball, they set out at top lick, arms pumping, then pull up as they reach the ball, before reversing and sprinting back with gusto from whence they came. The aim is to allow the tennis to unfold without distraction, but the effect of these manic sprints can be the opposite, amounting to an oddly theatrical spectacle in their own right.
