WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Winston-Salem Open will hold tryouts for ball persons on Friday, July 31 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, August 1 from 10 a.m. to noon.  The tryouts are open to the public and will be held at the Wake Forest University Indoor Tennis Center at 100 West 32nd Street (adjacent to BB&T Field).

Candidates for ball persons must know how to keep score of tennis games, be able to move quickly, be willing to endure lengthy tennis matches in the sun and work well with others on a team.  Ball persons must be 12 years old by August 1, 2015 (proof of age required) in order to qualify. All applicants are asked to attend a minimum of three of the two-hour training sessions from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on August 5, 10, 12, 17 and 19 at the Wake Forest University Indoor Tennis Center.  

Additionally, applicants must be available for the entire Winston-Salem Open tournament and qualifying rounds August 22 through 29.

“The primary role of ball persons is to retrieve tennis balls when they are out of play.  Ball persons play very important roles in each match.  Our ball persons have been an integral part of the Winston-Salem Open in past years,” said Winston-Salem Open tournament director Bill Oakes.  “Being a ball person is a great way to get involved in tennis, see the competition up close and have some fun at the same time, but it’s also a serious commitment.”

“All applicants must be knowledgeable about tennis rules, be able to stand and run for a least an hour and must be able to concentrate for extended periods.  They also must be mature, have good hand-eye coordination and exhibit outstanding citizenship,” Oakes added.  “I also want to stress that ball persons must be willing to attend three of the five training sessions we’re offering and be available for possible work during the entire tournament.  There are no exceptions to these rules.”

Applicants are asked to wear appropriate athletic clothes to the tryouts and cannot wear shoes with black soles.  Ball persons serve as volunteers, and there is no fee to apply.  More information, including online registration, is available at WinstonSalemOpen.com under the “Volunteers” tab at the top.

About the Winston-Salem Open

The Winston-Salem Open, an ATP World Tour 250 event with a total purse of more than $695,000, will take place from August 22-29, 2015, with qualifying set for August 22. The tournament will be the final men’s event of the Emirates Airline US Open Series and is the week prior to the US Open.  For more information on the 2015 Winston-Salem Open, please go to WinstonSalemOpen.com. 

About the Emirates Airline US Open Series

Now in its 12th season, the Emirates Airline US Open Series continues to serve as a true regular season of hard court tennis, linking seven summer tournaments to the US Open. In 2014, Serena Williams won the US Open and Emirates Airline US Open Series women’s title for the second consecutive year, earning a record tennis paycheck of $4 million. Rafael Nadal (2013), Roger Federer (2007) and Kim Clijsters (2005) also accomplished the feat of winning the Emirates Airline US Open Series and US Open singles title within the same year.

About The ATP

The ATP is the governing body of the men's professional tennis circuits - the ATP World Tour, the ATP Challenger Tour and the ATP Champions Tour. With 62 tournaments in 31 countries, the ATP World Tour showcases the finest male athletes competing in the world’s most exciting venues. From Australia to Europe and the Americas to Asia, the stars of the 2014 ATP World Tour will battle for prestigious titles and Emirates ATP Rankings points at ATP World Tour Masters 1000, 500 and 250 events, as well as Grand Slams (non ATP events). At the end of the season only the world’s top 8 qualified singles players and doubles teams will qualify to compete for the last title of the season at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Held at The O2 in London, the event will officially crown the 2015 ATP World Tour No.1 presented by Emirates. For more information, please visit ATPWorldTour.com.

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