Ball Crew has front-row seat & behind-the-scenes work

Read anecdotes from the 2026 Ball Crew

By Grant Thompson

They are rarely noticed, and after all, that is their goal.

The Cincinnati Open Ball Crew keep matches moving, all while creating a community that keeps veterans returning year after year. For some, it is the thrill of being inches from world-class athletes; for others, it is the friendships, memories and sense of pride that have turned a tournament role into a lifelong tradition.

Last year’s ATP Masters and WTA 1000 Tournament of the Year — a reward as a result of player surveys — could not happen without the Ball Crew.

“The draw of this initially, at least for me, was, ‘The best seat in the house’,” said Leon Bao, who is in his 14th year as a ballperson, or, as he said, “more than half of my life I’ve done this”.

Over the years, that front-row seat has become something bigger. Ballpersons form a community, one reason why they all look forward to their reunion.

“I think for a lot of us, what drives us to come back, among a lot of other reasons, is there’s a lot of experiences that money can’t buy,” added Bao. “I look into my own memory — Venus Williams sometimes drinks coffee in the match. Nick Kyrgios invited me to sit down during a rain delay to talk about shoes. Coco Gauff said, ‘Thank you’ to me because I gave her a banana.”

Then there is Bradly D’Souza, whose 18-year membership on the Ball Crew would be college-aged if it were a person. Having grown up in the area, D’Souza now resides in California, requiring him to set aside two weeks to be part of the Ball Crew. D’Souza doesn’t flinch at that cross-country travel.

“I’ve grown up with the tournament,” D’Souza said. “I’m here day and night until the end,” he added before speaking on the family environment: “In our generation, we had two of them get married a couple years back. It really sticks throughout the rest of life it feels like.”

From first ball to last, the Ball Crew is never short on support.

“They take good care of us,” D’Souza said, praising the tournament staff and the Ball Crew Lounge. “There’s practically unlimited food and snacks throughout the tournament.”

Another ballperson, Gabrielle Walsh, highlighted the hard work it takes to complete the job. While the sport’s biggest stars own the spotlight, the ballpersons’ work happens in the shadows.

Walsh recalls being “really nervous” in her first-year experience as an 11-year-old. She wanted to work on a court that hosted legends like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, but Walsh, like all ballpersons, had to earn her spot.

“Getting to know people, working hard and coming back year after year — it’s like a drive to finally make it onto Center Court,” said Walsh, now in her 11th year as a ballperson. “When you finally make it, you’re like, ‘This is what I worked for. I spent all these years on the lower courts and now I get to be working night matches with Sabalenka, Djokovic’, or whoever it may be. That part is really cool as far as why we come back.”

For Ball Crew members, there can be a sense of pressure working under the bright lights. Precision, focus and discipline are all required. What else makes a good ball crew?

“There’s a lot of communication that’s non-verbal,” said D’Souza. “We’re not interrupting play, but it’s a team unit that’s taking care of the players at the same time. I think good communication and good chemistry on court goes a long way.”

Zaya Iderzul, beginning her ninth year with the crew, added: “A love for the sport [is important]. I have so much respect for tennis players and I just want to make sure that I do a good job for them. It motivates me. It’s so fun. I love it.”

Ohio State University student Lilly Rich is starting her seventh year as a ballperson. She says, “You have to be thinking multiple steps ahead. You have to look across and know where all six balls are at all times.”

Boris Menninger, meanwhile, is in his 17th year. He appreciates the friendships he’s created throughout the years, that second family which ballpersons often highlight. Menninger takes pride in the behind-the-scenes nature of the work, and how the ultimate goal is “that nobody will notice” their presence, alluding to a smooth operation.

Menninger has seen firsthand the transformation of the Lindner Family Tennis Center, which underwent a $260 million renovation, completed in 2025.

“To have this event in Mason, it’s the closest thing that our region will ever get to hosting the Olympics,” said Menninger. “It’s a worldwide sporting event. Of course we have the Bengals, the Reds, those are national sports that are great to have in the market too. But this is a worldwide tournament. Players coming from all over the world.