After years of watching the US Open with his family, Anvit Vemuri joined the professionals on the court this summer as a ball crew member.
“Seeing the world’s top tennis players, who I usually only watch on TV, at such close range was an otherworldly and unforgettable experience,” he said.
Vemuri has played tennis recreationally since he was younger, and the teenager said that he has always enjoyed watching major tournaments.
“For the longest time, I have been a tennis fan and follow major tennis tournaments throughout the year, especially the four grand slams,” he said.
Vemuri said he watches the US Open with his family every year, but he hadn’t thought about becoming a ball crew member until last year.
“During one of the 2023 US Open matches, my mom casually mentioned what a cool experience it would be to be a US Open ballperson and asked me to look into it if I would be interested,” he said.
Following that conversation, Vemuri said he researched the position and applied as a crew member in March. He was chosen to try out for the position in June, which included intense physical benchmarks, he said.
Out of over 1,500 applicants, Vemuri was one of 100 new members to join the crew.
“Roughly 100 new members were selected this year, and 220 were returners from previous years,” he said. “I was especially proud of myself when I learned how competitive it is to be a US Open ballperson.”
The most memorable part of the experience, Vemuri said, was his interactions with the players.
“Usually on TV, we do not get to see what happens when the players are resting,” he said. “But I got a close-up view of the deep focus and concentration needed to be a professional tennis player.”
Seeing the professionals play in real-time was different from what he was expecting, Vemuri said.
“On TV, the players seem larger than life, but in reality, they are all down-to-earth, and a few players would even say ‘thank you’ when I serviced them a ball, which I thought was a nice gesture,” he said.”
Another memorable aspect of the experience was the sense of community between the ball crew members, Vemuri said.
“Our supervisors constantly talked about being ‘One Team’ and how everyone should support each other, whether on or off the court,” he said.
Vemuri said that returning crew members helped the rookies, and the crew members worked as a team to overcome obstacles like the summer heat.
“My day started at 11 a.m. and consisted of alternating 90-minute shifts and breaks until 7 p.m.,” he said. “On some days, the heat and humidity made it challenging to stay focused and energetic, especially the days when temperatures crossed 90 degrees.”
Vemuri said that despite the heat, the camaraderie of the ball crew made the temperatures manageable.
“All of us six ballpeople on court truly cared about each other and worked as a team to ensure that all of us were coping and reminded each other to keep hydrated constantly.”
Vemuri recently entered his senior year of high school after what was a memorable summer experience.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I most definitely could not pass up,” he said.
