Seeing double: Twin ballkids in the ranks

Wednesday 20 January 2010
By Melanie Reiffenstein

It is often hard to tell the Australian Open MLC Ballkids apart in their trademark rich pink, Lacoste uniforms. So what happens when seven sets of twins join the squad of 316 servicing players at Melbourne Park? All 14 of them came together on Court 20 Wednesday to pose for photos, taking a few minutes out of their busy schedules during MLC Ballkids Day.

Only a select group of MLC Ballkids are chosen out of 1,000 applicants every year, selected for their love of the game, their athleticism, and their desire to work hard. The 45-on-off shifts put these young tennis fans in the centre of the action, in front of the biggest names in tennis.

Players like world No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 3-ranked Novak Djokovic often save ballkids’ time and energy by hitting balls back in their direction. Working with these players is a thrill for ballkids.

“The players are very nice. They say ‘thank you’,” said ballkids Taylor and Ashleigh Capannolo, 14-year-old fraternal twin sisters born one-minute apart. “We’re up-close with the best players and we can see how they move. We see their determination and how they play the game,” said avid tennis player and fan Taylor, who works primarily at the net, while sister Ashleigh covers the baseline. Both girls compete at a high level in tennis and are passionate about the game.

This is Taylor’s second year working as a ballkid and Ashleigh’s first. Working during the hottest times of the day, the girls say the heat doesn’t actually bother them. Having their friends and each other around is one of the best parts of the job. “We text each other to find out which courts we’ll be on that day,” said Ashleigh. “It’s a lot of fun.”

The twin sisters haven’t been assigned to the same court yet but it could happen at one point during the tournament. Until then, they’ll be able to say they’ve at least been on the court with the likes of Federer and Djokovic.