At The Net: Olivia Chin, U.S. Open Ballperson

This past fall, Olivia Chin wrapped up an incredibly successful high school tennis career. The co-captain of her Dominican Academy, Chin finished her career undefeated in singles play, and helped lead her team to the 2024 CHSAA Conference Championship, before her team finished as runners-up in the New York State final.

That on-court success for Chin came on the heels of her being present at the U.S. Open. Well, being present is an understatement. For the last three years, Chin has concluded her summers on the courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center as a ballperson.

Being a ballperson at the U.S. Open is a one-of-a-kind experience for junior players in the Eastern Section, and hundreds of people come out for the tryouts each year.

“I’ve been a ballperson for the last three years. When I tried out originally, I was nervous, but a good nervous, because I knew I was trying out for a highly-coveted spot,” said Chin. “With only a handful of spots, there is definitely the pressure to perform. At the tryouts, I know they were looking for agility, coordination and speed, and, of course, fast, flat and accurate rolls, but it was also an audition, they were evaluating our ability to interact and communicate with other ball persons on the court.”

As Chin says, the tryouts are there to test the athletic abilities of each of the candidates, but in addition to that, it’s important for the ballpeople to be able to remain calm on court despite the flurry of action that oftentimes takes place during a high-level tennis match, especially at the U.S. Open.

“As a native New Yorker, I have to say that the U.S. Open is the greatest of all the Grand Slams. I love being in the middle of the action in the sport that I love,” Chin said. “It may sound cliche, but there is definitely ‘no better seat in the house’. It’s always exciting to be on court, the players worked all year to get to the U.S. Open, and we are part of the invisible team that makes the matches flow. “We get to witness first-hand the sheer focus and grit that these top players have. It is unbelievable to see Ben Shelton’s serves fly by at almost 150 mph, which is something you can only experience at court level. There is definitely a lot of pressure to perform well on-court, especially in the stadiums. I think us ball kids love the pressure though, we probably run faster and harder than we thought we were capable of when the crowd is roaring. Everyone pushes themselves harder knowing that we are working at a world-famous tournament where every point counts.”

Being in the middle of that action, while a bit nerve-wracking at times, can create lifelong memories and unbelievable experiences for the ballpersons. For Chin, at the 2024 U.S. Open, she was on-court for the Women’s Singles final inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, standing on center stage as 24,000 fans looked on.

“One of my favorite memories was having the honor of working the match this year between Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula,” Chin recalls. “It was definitely the experience of a lifetime to be under the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, on court with two of the world’s best players. I got to work with an amazing group of ball persons and the team spirit and sense of camaraderie was strong throughout the match. The crowd brought an electric energy and the cheering gave me goosebumps; it was a hard-hitting match where the momentum swung both ways. It was certainly an inspirational match full of grit, skill and sheer power. It was an absolute privilege to have been on court for a part of U.S. Open history.”

The U.S. Open is one of the most exciting events that comes to New York every year, and as a community we are lucky to be able to host this one-of-a-kind tournament in our backyard. While the players are the show and the attraction, there is an army of people both behind the scenes and front-and-center that allow the tournament to run seamlessly. The ballpersons are an integral part of that.

Many ballpersons return year-to-year, and Chin says while they don’t have to try out again, it’s always exciting to get the call back. Chin looks forward to another year at the U.S. Open next summer, and encourages other people her age to try out themselves.

“I’ve met and been on court with a great bunch of people from all over the country. There is a huge camaraderie amongst the ball crew that simply makes everyday at the Open something to look forward to,” said Chin. “I would definitely encourage people my age to try out to be a ballperson as it’s one of the best summer gigs. It’s not for everyone, we do brave many hours in the hot August sun and we sprint countless miles by the end of three weeks–but it is a thoroughly rewarding experience. For ball kids who are tennis players, I think it gives us a renewed love for the sport.”